Definition. Traditionally, the way in which a term is going to be used is called definition. The term is called the definiendum and the explanatory phrase is the definiens. Example: a sophomore may be defined as an undergraduate in his or her second year. Dictionary definitions are generally simple; for scientific or scholarly purposes a more detailed analytical definition is often required. The most primitive way of defining is to point to the object. This is called ostensive definition, as where you ask me what a giraffe is and I, not being a zoologist, take you to the zoo and show you one. The most noteworthy classical type of definition is that proposed by Aristotle, by genus and difference, i.e., when you ask me what an armchair is I might reply that it is a species of the genus chair, distinguished from other chairs by its having rests of one sort or another to lean the occupant's arms on. John Stuart Mill contended that definitions yield information only about the use of language. Poincaré held that a definition ought not to refer to the whole class in which the object being defined is a member, and he held that definitions that do not conform to this requirement should be called impredicative definitions. Definition must be seen, then, as varying from the simplest (ostensive) type to highly complex forms that may be required for certain purposes. The concept of definition is of course as important in religious as in other kinds of philosophical reflection.

In Roman Catholic usage the term "definition" has a technical sense: a theological proposition is said to be "defined" when it has been officially declared to be the Church's teaching, denial of which would be accounted heresy.

Geddes MacGregor, Dictionary of Religion and Philosophy, New York: Paragon House, 1989

 definition : (nt.) upalakkhana; paricchindana. (m.) nicchaya. (f.) vavatthā.

A.P. Buddhadatta Mahathera, Concise Pali-English and English-Pali Dictionary [available as digital version from Metta Net, Sri Lanka]

ljon shing

[translation-san] {LCh} vṛkṣa

[translation-eng] {Hopkins} tree

[definition-bod] mtshan nyid yal ga lo 'dab dang ldan pa

[definition-eng] Definition: having branches and leaves

Jeffrey Hopkins' Tibetan-Sanskrit-English Dictionary

nye bar bstan pa

[tenses]

• bstan
• ston
• bstand
• stond

[translation-san] {C} upadiśati

[translation-san] {C} nidarśana

[translation-eng] {C} point out; recommends; speak of; show; explain; expound; definite statement; definition

Jeffrey Hopkins' Tibetan-Sanskrit-English Dictionary

ston pa

[tenses]

• bstan
• ston
• bstand
• stond

[translation-san] {LCh,C,MSA} śāstṛ

[translation-san] {C,MSA} darśana

[translation-san] {C} darśayati

[translation-san] {C} vidarśanī

[translation-san] {C,MSA} saṃdarśanā

[translation-san] {C} saṃdarśayati

[translation-san] {MSA} saṃdarśana

[translation-san] {C} nidarśana

[translation-san] {C} upadarśayi

[translation-san] {C} upadarśayati

[translation-san] {MSA} darśikatva

[translation-san] {C} darśika

[translation-san] {C} nāyaka

[translation-san] {C} praṇayati

[translation-san] {C} samprakāśayati

[translation-san] {C} sūcana

[translation-san] {C,MSA} deśayati

[translation-san] {C} nirdeśatva

[translation-san] {MSA} deśana

[translation-san] {MSA} deśanā

[translation-san] {MSA} nirdeśa

[translation-san] {MSA} apadeṣṭṛ

[translation-san] {C} ākhyātṛ

[translation-san] {MSA} ākhyāna

[translation-san] {MSA} abhidyotana

[translation-san] {MSA} upastambhika

[translation-san] {MSA} vihita

[translation-eng] {Hopkins} verb: indicate; teach; show; demonstrate; reveal noun: teacher; teaching

[translation-eng] {C} sight; exhibit; visible; act of seeing; vision; exhibition; have a clear knowledge of; indication; show (up); hold up to; instruct; exhibits; make visible; to illuminate; reveal; explain; indicates; show forth; one who shows (up); demonstrates; guide; leader; definite statement; definition; have been expounded; leads; guides; make manifest; give the impression that; display; one who has proclaimed

Jeffrey Hopkins' Tibetan-Sanskrit-English Dictionary

bstan

[tenses]

• bstan
• ston
• bstand
• stond

[translation-san] {C} nirdiṣṭa

[translation-san] {C} upadiṣṭa

[translation-san] {C} upadeśa

[translation-san] {MSA} anudeśa

[translation-san] {MV} diś-

[translation-san] {MV} deśita

[translation-san] {MSA} darśita

[translation-san] {MSA,C} nidarśana

[translation-san] {C} prakāśayati

[translation-san] {MSA} paridīpita

[translation-san] {C} paridīpayati (=vistara-kathanena-saṃkṣipta-artha-paridīpanām)

[translation-san] {MSA} (√vaś): uśanti

[translation-san] {C,MV} ākhyāta

[translation-san] {MV} khyā-

[translation-san] {MSA} yang dag bstan = samudāhṛta

[translation-eng] {Hopkins} teach; indicate; show; demonstrate

[translation-eng] {C} proclaims; reveals; shows; makes known; explained; mentioned; declared; expounded; pointed out; advice; instruction; exposition; definite statement; definition; lighten up; is lit up; pointed out; announced; proclaimed

Jeffrey Hopkins' Tibetan-Sanskrit-English Dictionary

bstan pa

[tenses]

• bstan
• ston
• bstand
• stond

[translation-san] {MSA} upadeśa

[translation-san] {MV,MSA} uddeśa

[translation-san] {MSA} upadeśikatva

[translation-san] {MSA,MV} deśanā

[translation-san] {MSA} deśita

[translation-san] {C} nirdiśati (=kathyamānāyāḥ = nirdeṣṭum)

[translation-san] {C,MSA} nirdiṣṭa

[translation-san] {C,MV} nirdiśyate

[translation-san] {C,MSA} nirdeśa {C}(=niyatam = tasya te pratirūpo 'yam upadeśaḥ)

[translation-san] {C,MSA} apadeśa

[translation-san] {C} ākhyāta

[translation-san] {C} ākhyāna

[translation-san] {C} sānāthya

[translation-san] {C} bhāṣita

[translation-san] {C} bhāṣate (=ābhāṣate)

[translation-san] {MSA} darśana

[translation-san] {C} dṛṣṭi

[translation-san] {C,MSA} saṃdarśana

[translation-san] {C} saṃdarśanatā

[translation-san] {C} nidarśana

[translation-san] {L} pravedita

[translation-san] {MSA} anuśiṣṭa

[translation-san] {C,MSA} śāsana

[translation-san] {MV} paridīpitaṃ bhavati

[translation-san] {MSA} udita

[translation-san] {MSA} praṇīta

[translation-san] jñāpita

[translation-eng] {Hopkins} teach; show; demonstrate; indicate noun: teaching; taught

[translation-eng] {C} view; false view; being seen; exhibiting; exhibition; act of gazing; definite statement; definition; teaches; speaks; says; declares; what has been taught; aid; is pointed out; is recognized; is expounded; is explained; explain; exposition; desquisition; description; explained; mentioned; declared; expounded; pointed out; explains; describes; points to; make known; religion; annunciation; tale; communication; announced; proclaimed

Jeffrey Hopkins' Tibetan-Sanskrit-English Dictionary