Sessionslide 2

College of Education
School of Continuing and Distance Education
2014/2015 – 2016/2017
UGRC 150
CRITICAL THINKING &
PRACTICAL REASONING
Session 2 – DEFINITIONS ( PART 1)
Lecturer: Dr. Mohammed Majeed
Dept. of Philosophy & Classics, UG
Contact Information: mmajeed@ug.edu.gh

Session Overview
• Contrary to what many students might suppose before their exposure to
this course, there are different types of definition. The type of definition
found in the dictionary which is also the one with which students are
familiar, is just one of the six definitions that will be discussed. In this
session, a distinction will be made between connotation and denotation
of a word, after which the lexical, ostensive, operational and theoretical
definitions will be discussed.
• Goals and Objectives:
at the end the session, student will
1.Understand when the connotation or denotation of a word is implied in a
definition
2.Be able to tell the differences and relationship that exist between the
connotation and denotation of a word.
3.Be able to write good examples of connation and denotation of a word.
Dr. Mohammed Majeed Slide 2

Session Outline
The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows:
• Topic One: DEFINITIONS
sub topic: connotation and denotation
• Topic Three: THE TWO PARTS OF A STANDARD DEFINITION
• Topic Four: TYPES OF DEFINITIONS:
(a) lexical definition
(b) Ostensive definition
(c) Operational definition
(d) theoretical definition
(e) stipulative definition. session 3(part2)
(f) real definition. session3 (part2)

Reading List
• Log onto the UG Sakai LMS course
site://sakai.ug.edu.gh/xxxxxxxxx
• Read Unit 2 of Recommended Text –pages 16-22
• Watch the Videos for session 2- Definitions (Part 1)
• Visit the Chat Room and discuss the Forum question for
session 2 (Part 1)

DEFINITIONS
Topic One

What is DEFINITION
• Definition is a declarative sentences that conveys or
present the meaning of a word.
• Examples:
1. Even number is any number that is divisible by two
without a remainder.
2. Culture is the way of life of people; their norms, values,
music, and beliefs that are transmitted from one generation
to the other.
3. Bank is a place where moneys are kept or borrowed.

CONNOTATION AND DENOTATION
Sub Topic

• In conveying the meaning of a word, there are two ways
that we can do that. We can either convey the meaning of
a word by CONNOTATION or DENOTATION.
• CONNOTATION:- This is when the meaning of a word gives
a description of the features or attributes or properties of
range of objects in the world to which the word may be
applied.
• Examples. ( head, mobile phone, )
1.Head is the upper part of a human body or an animal’s
body that contains the brain and the face.
Topic one continuation.

continuation
2. Mobile phone is an electronic device for receiving
and making calls.
• NB. This is what it means to define a word by
CONNOTATION.
• DENOTATION:- This refers to the collection of all the
things in the world that are correctly picked out by
a word’s connotation. It refers to the definition that
coveys the meaning of a word by giving examples.

Continuation
• Examples:
• The meaning of mobile phone for example are
Samsung phone, Nokia lumia phone, Motorola
phone, LG Phone.
• The meaning of even number for example are 2, 4, 6,
8, 10, 12, .
• NB. This is what it means to define a word by
DENOTATION.

Continuation
• However the relationship that exist between the connotation
and the denotation is that, given the connotation of word, we
can identify or determine it’s denotation.
• For instance;
If the word ‘Head’ is defined as “the upper part of the
human body or an animal’s body that contains the brain and
the face”, then its denotations will be the head of every
human being on earth as well as that of an animal.

CONTINUATION
• But the same word ‘Head’ can also be defined as referring to
“someone who is in charge of an operation or institution.” In
this instance the denotations will be all persons that are in
charge of specific operations or particular institutions.
• Thus depending on the connotation of a word will we be able
to determine a the denotations.
• NB. IF a word has several connotations, each connotation
will have their respective denotations.

THE TWO PARTS OF A STANDARD
DEFINITION.
Topic Two

• Every standard definition must have two parts. The
definiendum and the definiens.
• DEFINIENDUM:- The word to be defined which is the
subject of the definition(statement)
Example:
1 Even number is any number that is divisible by two
without a remainder.
2.Triangle is a plane figure with three side and has all the
interior angles summing up to 180 degrees.
The parts of a DEFINITION.

Topic two continuation
• DEFINIENS:- The rest of the definition that conveys
the meaning of the word( definiendum). It gives the
word’s connotation.
• Example:
1. Even number is any number that is divisible by
two without a remainder.
2.Triangle is a plane figure with three side and has
all the interior angles summing up to 180 degrees.
3. Widow is a woman whose husband is dead.

TYPES OF DEFINITION.
Topic Three

• When we talk about the “types of definition” we mean the
different sources of and methods for creating or deriving
definitions or meaning of words. In this course we will be
discussing only six different types of definition. However in
this session we will be looking at only four of the six types
of definition.
• The Six Types Are As Follows.
1. LEXICAL DEFINITION
2. OSTENSIVE DEFINITION
3. OPERATIONAL DEFINITION
4. THEORETICAL DEFINITION
5. STIPULATIVE DEFINITION session3(part2)*
6. REAL DEFINITION session3(part2)*
The types of DEFINITION

Lexical Definition
• LEXICAL DEFINITION is also called dictionary definition. It
refers to definition of words that are taken from the
dictionary. Dictionary definitions mostly describe the
connotation of words.
• The following two examples are taking from the dictionary.
1. Student is a learner enrolled in an educational institution
2. Musician is someone who conducts or composes music as a
profession.

Ostensive Definition
• Sometimes it becomes difficult to use words to convey the
meaning of certain words such that it becomes more
appropriate to show or point to an object to convey the
meaning of the word. Thus ostensive definition is when you
give an example or point to an object to convey the meaning
of a word.
• Example:
1. Using blood to covey what color red is.
2. listing the set of numbers to convey what an even number is.
3.Pointing to someone dancing an azonto to show a friend the
who does not know what dance is AZONTO.
NB: Ostensive gives us the denotation of a word.

Operational Definition.
• Operational definition is when a series of step by step
procedure is required to be followed in order to arrive at the
meaning of a word. Following the instructions in the
definition will let you understand what the word means.
• Example:
1. To understand what an even number is, do the following.
Take any number between 1 and 10, divide that number by
two. Then check to see for a remainder . If there is no
remainder then that number is an even number.

Theoretical Definition
• Theoretical definition refers to meanings of words that come
from theories that have gained acceptance in specific fields of
scientific knowledge.
• Examples:
1. Water is H2O. To understand this definition you must have
been thought chemistry or be a chemist.
2. Even number is any number that is divisible by two without
remainder. To understand this definition you must have been
thought mathematics or be a mathematician.

Sessionslide 2

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