Writing Definitions,How To Choose Definition Essay Topic
WebJan 5, · How to Write a Definition Essay? 1. Choose a Word. The first step, of course, is picking the right word. Now, how do you know what makes a topic good? WebDefine a word in simple and familiar terms. Your definition of an unfamiliar word should not lead your audience towards looking up more words in order to understand your WebJan 5, · How to Write a Definition Essay? 1. Choose a Word. The first step, of course, is picking the right word. Now, how do you know what makes a topic good? WebDefine a word in simple and familiar terms. Your definition of an unfamiliar word should not lead your audience towards looking up more words in order to understand your ... read more
Upgrade to wikiHow Pro Home Random Browse Articles Courses Quizzes New Train Your Brain New Improve Your English New Support wikiHow About wikiHow Easy Ways to Help Approve Questions Fix Spelling More Things to Try We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Categories Education and Communications College University and Postgraduate Academic Writing Essays How to Write a Definition Essay. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Related Articles. Article Summary. Co-authored by wikiHow Staff Last Updated: December 20, References Approved. Part 1.
Choose a concept or idea. Avoid concrete objects or things. You may not be able to say much about concrete objects or write about them in a deep or insightful way. Select a word you are familiar with. Go for a word that you recognize or understand on a basic level. This will make writing the definition a bit easier. Go for a word that can have a variety of meanings. Make sure the word you choose is multidimensional and can mean a lot of different things to different people. This will give you a lot of room to include your personal understanding of the word, as well as the interpretations of others. Part 2. Look up the word in the dictionary. Start by familiarizing yourself with the official definition of the word.
Use a dictionary to look up the word. Notice the structure of the definition, which will start with the term. It will then note the class of the term, which is where it belongs among other objects or concepts. Finally, it may note any synonyms, which are words that mean the same thing or are similar to the word. Research the origin of the word in encyclopedias. Find out where the word came from by looking it up online or in print encyclopedias. Search for the word in encyclopedias that focus on certain ideas or concepts, such as a philosophy encyclopedia or a law encyclopedia. Read up on any theories or ideas that connect to the word.
You may then find information on Western theories of justice and how it became an important concept in Western history and the legal system. Search online for articles, websites, and videos that discuss the word. You can also do a wide search for any scholarly or academic articles that discuss the word in detail. Look for academic websites that address the word, including articles, blog posts, or essays about the word. Look on academic search engines like Google Scholar, JSTOR, and ProQuest for scholarly articles. You can also look for educational videos that have been made about the word on YouTube and other video websites. Interview peers, family, and friends about the word. Get a personal perspective on the word by talking to your family and friends about what they think about the word.
Interview peers in your class or at work about what comes to mind when they hear or think about the word. Create your own definition of the word. Use your research and your own experiences to write the definition. You may focus on how the word works in society or the world at large. You can also compare it to other similar terms. Format the definition by stating the word, followed by a one-sentence definition. Part 3. Use five sections for the essay. A typical definition essay will have five sections: an introduction, three body sections, and a conclusion. Ask your instructor if they require you to have one paragraph per section or if they are okay with you having as many paragraphs as you need per section. Your thesis statement should appear in the introduction and conclusion section of your essay.
Introduce the term and the standard definition. Begin the essay by telling the reader the term you are defining. Then, provide the standard definition, using the dictionary and encyclopedias as references. Include a thesis statement with your own definition. Include this in the first section of the essay. Your thesis statement should describe your version of the what the term means. Mix in your personal experiences and your other research to create the definition. Keep the thesis statement one sentence long and use the active voice. Discuss the history and origin of the word. In the second section of the essay, talk about where the word originated. Note the root of the word and how it came into use.
Use your research, particularly your notes from encyclopedias and academic articles, as evidence. It is commonly used concept in politics, in the legal system, and in philosophy. Analyze the dictionary definition of the word. In the third section, do a deep analysis of the dictionary definition of the term. Pull the definition apart and look at each word in the definition. Interpret and rephrase the definition so you can explore its deeper meanings. Compare and contrast the term with other terms. Compare the word to other words that are similar in meaning. Discuss how the word is similar and how it is different.
Discuss your personal definition. In the fourth section of the essay, you should include your perspective on the term as well as the perspectives of others. Describe the word based on your own personal experiences, such as a memory from childhood or an experience at school. Support your points with evidence and references. Include quotes from your sources to back up your claims. Use quotes from articles, journals, and online resources. You can also include quotes from interviews you conducted to get personal definitions of the word. Conclude by restating your main points. Wrap up the essay in the last section by briefly restating the standard definition of the word. Then, restate your thesis statement so the reader is reminded of your personal definition of the word.
Make sure the conclusion discusses only points you have made in the essay and does not introduce any new ideas or thoughts. Include a last sentence that has a strong image or that describes a key phrase in your essay. Part 4. Read the essay out loud. Once you have completed a draft of the essay, read it aloud and listen to how it sounds on the page. Make sure each sentence flows well and that each section is well developed. Underline any awkward lines or phrases so you can revise them. Show the essay to others for feedback. Get friends, peers, and family members to read the essay. Ask them if your definition of the word is clear and easy to follow. Pose questions about whether your points seem well supported and well developed in the essay.
It will only make your essay better. Revise the essay. Once you have gotten feedback on the essay, take the time to revise it for clarity and flow. These topics allow you to have a very elaborate argument with a broad spectrum of ideas. Majoring in Business? Here is a wide range of essays that will be easy and interesting for you to write about. Even if it is not the case, economics, business, and e-commerce have plenty of interesting terms to explain. Some of the best ideas include:. They might be useful if you like to discuss innovations and forecasts for the future.
These are just some common examples of definition essay topics, questions that are commonly asked on tests, and coursework assignments. The goal here is to pick the best essay topic, that as a student, you feel most comfortable explaining and portraying. Here is the guide from our custom essay service on how to write a definition essay. When choosing a topic, it is necessary to choose a word that is not simple, and does not have a solid precise definition. A word with a concrete meaning will not give you much room to write about. When your word has an abstract meaning, it is possible to write a lot about it.
The terms that should not be used for a definition essay are nouns referring to a person or a place. It is easy to define and describe them, but these topics do not have a lot of potential. This means that you need to choose a word that has different meanings for different people. A definition essay can be a very subjective endeavour, as it allows a writer to showcase their own interpretation on the matter. Although, you should stay away from the meaning that everyone else has of your subject, as it might only be confirming the feelings and knowledge of other people—presenting no new arguments. Writing an essay on a word you simply picked up from a dictionary is extremely difficult.
You need to have personal experience related to it, or good knowledge of the word you are defining. It is always better to choose a word that you are familiar with. This gives you leverage to be able to elaborate on the matter and show your credibility as an author. The origin, or etymology, of a word has some historical reason for being what it is. Explore the history of the term using dictionaries, and online resources, to elaborate on the general definition. Publish your findings in your definition paper. Every essay should be written in the classic Intro-Body-Conclusion format. According to the definition essay structure, the introduction should address the central question with a thesis statement.
Your outline is a draft for your actual paper, so it has to be planned out extremely carefully. You need to include your main points and highlights as a building blocks for your paper. Your outline will aid you in creating a well-organized essay, and will ensure its high quality. Depending on the term, however, the body of a definition essay outline may vary in length and should include all of the points made by the writer. The conclusion should summarize all the main ideas, and suggest possible future associations with the word. In a definition essay, the introduction has two goals. You must give a standard, or the most common, explanation of the term. You can do so by searching for it in a dictionary, or simply on the web.
If a word has multiple meanings, it is wise to choose the one that suits your ideas the most and go on from that. It can be a famous quote, a joke, statistics, information, or simply a fun fact about your term. Next, move to your thesis statement—while keeping the initial meaning of the word in mind. It is important to stick to this strategy to not confuse the reader, and have a logical coherent flow to your paper. Your thesis statement is a part of the introduction. For a definition paper, the thesis is your version of what the term means. This can be a mix of the standard explanation, your personal experiences, and your interpretation style. Keep it short; do not try to describe too much in this section. This is where you transition into the body of the paper.
Usually, there are three body paragraphs in a definition essay. We suggest you organize them the following way:. Break down the term into its core parts in the body of your essay. Analyze the term from different angles and provide a relevant explanation. More than three paragraphs may be necessary, depending on the nature of your assignment. Although, feel free to alter this format anyway that suits your word better, as, depending on the complexity of your word, you can add more paragraphs, or switch the order around. It is your job to do extensive research and fully understand it. You need to support your claims with examples, as well as give your opinion and share the experiences you might have had.
Keep the conclusion simple. The main goal here is to summarize the main points of your argument. Rephrase your thesis, as well as the main parts of the explanation, and sum up everything you said in the body of your definition paper. The last thing that should be mentioned in your definition paper outline is how this term has impacted you. If you were, for example, writing about the concept of love, you can say that being in love, and expressing that love to another person, made you more compassionate. It changed your character in a positive way and showed you new side of yourself. Usually, before even writing an essay, there is a reason a specific word is picked, and part of the reason has to do with personal experience—in this case, falling in love.
Now, take a break from all the reading and thinking, kick back and watch our awesome video from our research paper writer. It will give you useful tips for picking your topic and for writing an excellent definition essay. You might want to take notes to make sure you get everything you can out of it. Here are some samples of definition paragraph examples for college. Pay attention to the structure of these papers. Any of these definition essay examples can also be used as a definition essay template, if you wish to have the same structure and format for your paper.
On This Page On This Page. A definition essay is a writing type that is often assigned to students for their academics. Whether you are a high school student or a college student, you will have to write this assignment professionally. Like every other formal document, a definition essay follows a proper writing procedure and structure to be effective. This article is written to study that process and structure in detail. Your first order with us is FREE! Just as the name suggests, a definition essay defines and explains a term or a concept. Unlike a narrative essay, the purpose of writing this essay is only to inform the readers. Writing this essay type can be deceivingly tricky. Some terms, concepts, and objects have concrete definitions when explained.
A definition essay requires a writer to use different approaches when discussing a term. These approaches are the following:. A single or combination of approaches can be used in the essay. A definition essay presents a detailed and lengthy explanation to inform the audience effectively. If you are not assigned a topic for this essay, choose something that can be described comprehensively. Writing a definition essay is simple if you know the correct procedure. This essay, like all the other formal pieces of documents, requires substantial planning and effective execution. Instead of choosing a term that has a concrete definition available, pick a complicated word. The complex expressions have abstract concepts that require a writer to explore deeper. Moreover, make sure that the term selected is perceived differently by different people.
Once you have a word to draft your definition essay for, read the dictionary. These academic definitions are important as you can use them to compare your understanding with the official concept. Experts suggest not to finalize a term that you are not familiar with. Drafting a definition essay is about stating the dictionary meaning and your explanation of the concept. So the writer needs to have some information about the term. The history of the word can make you discuss it in a better way. Coming up with an exciting title for your essay is important. The essay topic will be the first thing that your readers will witness, so it should be catchy.
Creatively draft an essay topic that reflects meaning. In addition to this, the usage of the term in the title should be correctly done. The readers should get an idea of what the essay is about and what to expect from the document. Now that you have a topic in hand, it is time to gather some relevant information. A definition essay is more than a mere explanation of the term. So having only personal knowledge will not be enough to defend your point. Deeply research and gather information consulting credible sources. The gathered information needs to be organized to be understandable. The raw data needs to be arranged to give a structure to the content. A definition essay can be written using the traditional essay outline in which the entire content is divided into three sections:.
The audience needs a clear and structured presentation of the information to stay focused and motivated. Moreover, an outline brings a flow in the text that smoothly takes the audience from the introduction to the conclusion. Drafting each section correctly is a daunting task. Understanding what or what not to include in these sections requires a writer to choose wisely. The starting of your essay matters a lot. If it is on point and attractive, the readers will want to read the text. As the first part of the essay is the introduction, it is considered the first impression of your essay. After briefly introducing the topic, fully explain it in the body section.
Provide all the details and evidence that will support the thesis statement. To draft this section professionally, add the following information:. Once all the details are shared, give closure to your discussion. The last paragraph of the definition essay is the conclusion. The writer sums up his conversation and provides an insight into the topic as a conclusion. Although the writing process ends with the concluding paragraph, there is an additional step. It is important to proofread the essay once you are done writing.
Proofread and revise your document a couple of times to make sure everything is perfect. It is important to go through some examples and samples before writing an essay. This is to understand the writing process and structure of the assigned task well. Understanding the Definition Essay. Selecting the right topic is challenging for other essay types. However, picking a suitable theme for a definition essay is equally tricky yet important. Pick an interesting subject to ensure maximum readership. Choose from the list below and draft a compelling essay.
To help students write a definition essay effortlessly, expert writers of CollegeEssay. org have gathered some simple tips. Drafting essays are that essential part of all academic levels that can not be avoided. The only way to achieve better grades is to draft these essays correctly. Not every student has tremendous writing skills to write the assignments effectively. If you are an amateur and want to score good grades, it is advised to get professional help. org is an essay writing service that assists students in all their academic assignments. Be it a college essay of any type or a complex research paper, the expert writers will guide you efficiently.
To hire a qualified writer today, place your order now. Barbara is a highly educated and qualified author with a Ph. in public health from an Ivy League university. She has spent a significant amount of time working in the medical field, conducting a thorough study on a variety of health issues. Her work has been published in several major publications. Written by. Published on: Oct 9, Last updated on: Jan 3, Continue reading to learn the correct formation of a definition essay. Learn More. Definition Essay Example. WRITTEN BY. Share this article. Keep reading 8 min read.
100 Definition Essay Topics to Blow Your Mind!,Building Blocks in Writing Definition Essay
WebDefine a word in simple and familiar terms. Your definition of an unfamiliar word should not lead your audience towards looking up more words in order to understand your WebJan 5, · How to Write a Definition Essay? 1. Choose a Word. The first step, of course, is picking the right word. Now, how do you know what makes a topic good? WebDefine a word in simple and familiar terms. Your definition of an unfamiliar word should not lead your audience towards looking up more words in order to understand your WebJan 5, · How to Write a Definition Essay? 1. Choose a Word. The first step, of course, is picking the right word. Now, how do you know what makes a topic good? ... read more
This browser does not support PDFs. Formatting Styles. This article has been viewed , times. Explain the role of the chosen word in the language. More reader stories Hide reader stories. A happiness definition essay is a good option to consider because it is familiar and relatable.
Support your points with evidence and references. Not Helpful 7 Helpful Rephrase your thesis, as well as the main parts of the explanation, and sum up everything you said in the body of your definition paper. The primary reason to include definitions in your writing is to avoid misunderstanding with your audience. We divided them into separate categories to make it easier.
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