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definition

def·i·ni·tion [ dèffə nísh'n ]


noun 
Definition:
 
1.  (plural def·i·ni·tions) meaning of word: a brief precise statement of what a word or expression means, e.g. in a dictionary

2. act of defining word: the act or process of defining what a word or expression means, e.g. in writing a dictionary

3. clarification: the act of describing or stating something clearly and unambiguously

4. tv photog clarity: the degree of clarity of an image. It is related to the sharpness and degree of contrast in the image.

5. embodiment of something: somebody or something believed to represent or embody a particular idea or quality ( formal )
His behavior has always seemed to me the very definition of courtesy.

6. sharpness of sound: the degree of distinctiveness of a sound

[14th century. Via French< Latin definition-< definire (see define)]

def·i·ni·tion·al adjective

by definition used to emphasize that somebody or something is considered to have a particular intrinsic quality

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