Definitionskriterier

Definitionskriterier (definition criteria) are the standards used to assess whether a proposed definition adequately captures the meaning of a term within a given discipline. They function as normative guidelines that help ensure definitions are precise, useful, and consistent across contexts.

In philosophy, linguistics and related fields, criteria address aspects such as clarity, non-circularity, and explanatory value, while also guiding whether a definition achieves proper delimitation of a category. Definitions come in several kinds, including lexical definitions that reflect common usage, stipulative definitions that assign a new meaning for a purpose, and ostensive definitions that point to examples. The choice of criteria often depends on the goal: classifying entities, explaining a concept, or guiding practical decisions.

Common criteria include: the definition should be non-circular (not using the defined term or its cognates); it should be clear and unambiguous; it should be neither too broad (overinclusive) nor too narrow (underinclusive); it should aim for essential features rather than incidental traits; it should be grounded in reality if the target is a natural kind; and it should be testable against a range of known cases. In ideal cases, a definition offers necessary and sufficient conditions, but many domains allow only a workable delimitation.

Practitioners use a procedure such as: identify the set of things to be defined (extension), determine the common essential properties (intension), formulate the genus and differentia, and check edge cases and potential ambiguities. Definitional criteria are central to taxonomy, argumentation, and knowledge organization, and they are subject to revision as theories and usages evolve.