Määrittelystä

Määrittelystä, or definitionism, is a philosophical theory that holds that the meaning of a word or concept is determined by its definition. This theory is often associated with the work of philosophers such as Gottlob Frege and Bertrand Russell. According to definitionism, the meaning of a term is fixed by its definition, which can be understood as a set of necessary and sufficient conditions for the application of the term. For example, the term "bachelor" might be defined as "an unmarried adult male," which provides the necessary and sufficient conditions for something to be a bachelor.

Definitionism contrasts with other theories of meaning, such as descriptivism, which holds that the meaning of a term is determined by its descriptive content, and contextualism, which holds that the meaning of a term is determined by its use in context. Definitionism has been influential in the development of formal semantics and the philosophy of language, but it has also faced criticism for its inability to account for the dynamic and flexible nature of language use in real-world contexts. Despite these challenges, definitionism remains an important and influential theory in the philosophy of language.