CRIT 1101

1
CRIT 1101

• Chapter 2
• Section 2.4 2.5

2
Section 2.4

• Extensional definition assigns a meaning to a
  term by indicating the members of the class that
  the term denotes
• There are three kinds
• Demonstrative, Enumerative, and Definition by
  Subclass

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Demonstrative Definition

• Defined as the most primitive way of indicating
  the members of a class is by pointing to them.
  There 2 types.
• Complete Stone Mountain means as you point to
  it.
• Partial Chair means as you point to chairs.

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Enumerative Definition

• Indicates the members of a class by naming them.
• Complete Pacific coast states mean
  Washington, Oregon, and California.
• Partial Actress means a person such as Ashley
  Judd, Angelina Jolie, and Cameron Diaz.

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Definition by Subclass

• Indicates the members of the class by naming
  subclasses.
• Complete - Atomic component means electron,
  proton, or nuetron.
• Partial Tool means a wrench, screwdriver,
  drill, and so-on.

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Section 2.4

• Intensional definiton assigns a meaning to a
  word by indicating the attributes that the word
  connotes.
• There are 4 kinds Etymological, operational,
  definition by genus and difference, and
  synonymous.

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Etymological Definition

• Assigns a meaning to a word by disclosing the
  words ancestry in either its own language other
  language.
• Example Automobile is derived from the Greek
  word autos, which means self, and the Latin word
  that mobilis, which means movable.

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Operational Definition

• Assigns a meaning of a word by specifying certain
  experimental procedures that determine whether or
  not the word applies to a certain item.
• Example A joke is funny if a and only if
  people laugh when the joke is told.

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Definition by genus and difference

• Assigns a meaning to a term by identifying a
  genus term and one or more difference words that,
  when combined, convey the meaning of a term being
  defined.
• Example Doe means female deer.
• Female is the difference
• Deer is the genus

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Synonymous definition

• Assigns a meaning to a word by indicating the
  qualities or attributes that the word connotes.
• Example Physician means doctor.

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Section 2.5

• Lexical definitions report the way words are
  actually used in a language. As such they are the
  most important kind of definition, so it is
  essential to have rules for constructing them.
• It has eight rules that it follows

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Lexical Definition Rules

• Should conform to the standards of proper
  grammar.
• Should convey the essential meaning of the word
  being defined.
• Should avoid circularity.
• Should indicate the context to which the
  definition pertains

• Should not be negative when it can be affirmative
• Should avoid figurative, obsure, vague, or
  ambiguous language.
• Should neither be too broad or too narrow.
• Should avoid affective terminology