ОПРЕДЕЛЕНИЕ

Definition

A logical method making it possible to distinguish, find or build some kind of object, formulate the significance of a newly introduced term or specify the significance of a term existing in science. The diversity of kinds of definition is determined by what is defined, the tasks, the logical structure of definition, etc.

With the help of real definitions objects are singled out by their specific characteristics (properties and relations). Often they assume the form of definition through a genus and specific distinction. For example, "oxygen is an element (genus), whose atomic weight is equal to 16 (specific distinction)". With the help of nominal definitions new terms are introduced in science, both for reducing the more complex expressions and explaining the importance of new terms, etc.

In semantic definitions the defined is some kind of expression in a language and the defining is some kind of object (for example, the word "pentagon" means a polygon with five sides). In syntactic definitions the defined object differs from other objects by the rules for operating with it, the methods and purposes of its use (for example, pieces in chess are defined by indicating their initial positions on the chess board and rules for manipulating them in the course of the game). In genetic definition the defined object is singled out by indicating the mode of its formation, origin, or construction (e.g., "a circle is a closed curve formed by rotating in a plane a segment AB of a straight line around the fixed point A").

Definitions play a big role in science, being an essential part of any scientific theory. By means of them new concepts are introduced into science, the results of research are recorded, intricate descriptions occurring in science are simplified, and so on. At the same time individual definitions are limited because they cannot encompass the all-round connections of phenomena in their full development.

Определение

Несамостоятельный член предложения, грамматически подчинённый существительному (или имени - в языках без грамматический дифференциации имён) и указывающий на признак предмета, явления и т.п. О. может быть (в русском, немецком, латинском и многих др. индоевропейских языках, в арабском, банту и пр.) согласуемым («большой город», «наш сад») и несогласуемым («дом с мезонином», немецком das Buch des Genossen - «книга товарища»). В некоторых языках (семитских, тюркских и др.) присоединение О. (соответствующего русскому О. в родительном падеже) к имени требует морфологического изменения определяемого слова (т. н. изафетная конструкция). Особым видом О. является приложение.