definitionintensive

Definitionintensive is a term used to describe a methodological or writing approach that foregrounds precise, exhaustive definitional work as a central practice. In a definitionintensive style, authors formulate explicit stipulative definitions at the outset of analysis, articulate the necessary and sufficient features of key terms, and continually test boundaries by considering edge cases, exemplars, and counterexamples. The aim is to reduce ambiguity, improve communicability, and facilitate replication or cross-domain transfer of concepts.

Etymology and usage: The word combines definition with intensive and appears as a coined term in discussions within philosophy of language, semantics, and lexicography in the 2010s and 2020s. It is not a standard technical category with a single canonical theory, but rather a descriptor for texts and projects that emphasize definitional precision rather than informal or purely descriptive usage.

Characteristics: Core features include explicit definitions, careful specification of scope conditions, the construction of definitional hierarchies, iterative refinement of terms, glossary-oriented writing, and the strategic use of examples and counterexamples to probe boundaries. Definitionintensive work often aligns with concepts from conceptual engineering and aims to clarify how terms function within arguments or systems of knowledge.

Applications: The approach is relevant to philosophy of language and logic, lexicography and terminology management, knowledge representation and ontology development, academic writing pedagogy, and areas of AI where clear definitions support reasoning and interoperability.

Limitations: Critics note that overemphasis on definitions can slow inquiry, encourage pedantry, or obscure pragmatic or contextual nuances. It may not suit all disciplines or discourse communities, and the ideal balance between definitional rigor and flexibility can vary by domain.

See also: conceptual engineering; lexicography; ontology; precision; terminology management.