Definicija

Definicija is a term used in several South Slavic languages, including Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, and Slovenian, meaning "definition." In general, a definicija is a statement that specifies the meaning of a term by delimiting its scope and identifying its essential attributes. Definitions help clarify usage, distinguish terms with overlapping senses, and support precise communication in dictionaries, textbooks, law, and science.

Etymology: the word derives from the Latin definitio, from definire meaning to set boundaries or to determine. Borrowed into medieval Latin and through various European languages, it acquired the Slavic form definicija.

Types and purposes: Definitions vary by purpose and method. Lexical definitions describe how a term is used in a language (dictionary style). Stipulative definitions assign a meaning to a term for a particular context. Precising definitions reduce vagueness by narrowing a term's scope. Theoretical or analytical definitions express a concept by linking it to a theory or a set of essential properties.

Structure: Classical definitions often follow the genus proximum and differentia pattern: "X is a Y that has Z." For example, "A triangle is a plane figure with three sides." This structure helps to locate the term within a broader category while identifying its distinguishing features.

Usage and standards: Good definitions are clear, non-circular, and non-contradictory. They avoid defining a term by itself and should be testable against examples and counterexamples. In philosophy, logic, and science, definitions are evaluated for clarity, necessity, and sufficiency of the stated properties.