Evaluate the following defi nitions, using the six criteria for defi nition by g

Question

Evaluate the following defi nitions, using the six criteria for defi nition by genus and difference.

1. Too wide 2. Too narrow 3. Obscure, ambiguous, or figurative. 4. Circular 5. Unnecessarily negative 6. Unsuitable attribute

Explain your answer briefl y. For example, if you say a defi nition is too narrow, give an example that illustrates your point. Assume that the defi nitions are meant to be lexical defi nitions. If a defi nition meets all six criteria, simply write “OK.”

1- “Fifty” means the number of states in the U.S.A.

2- “Rectangle” means a plane figure having four equal sides and four right (i.e., 90-degree) angles.

3- “Wise person” means one who displays wisdom.

4- A “trapezoid” is a closed-plane figure that is not a triangle or a rectangle or a circle or an ellipse.

5- A “scrupulous person” is one who has scruples.

Explanation / Answer

1.Unsuitable attribute.The definition is an unsuitable definition to the word. Example, A "triangle is Steve's favorite shape" 2. Too narrow.For example, a shape with four sides of equal length is not a good definition for square, because squares are not the only shapes that can have four sides of equal length; rhombi do as well. Example, bird means a feathered animal that can fly (not all birds can fly) 3.Circular.Circular definition is a definition in which the definiendum (the expression being defined) or a variant of it appears in the definiens (the expression that defines it). Example,A cordless phone is a telephone that has no cord. 4. Unnecessarily negative.The purpose of definition is primarily to tell us what a thing is, not what a thing is not.Example, mammal means an animal that is not a reptile and not a bird. 5.Circular.A definition violates this rule when the term that is supposed to be defined is used to define itself.Example,Sympathy is the feeling of a person who feels sympathetic.

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