How To Write A Definition Essay: A Comprehensive Guide

WHAT IS A DEFINITION ESSAY?

The core feature of a definition essay is that you are being tasked with defining a given word or concept. What is important to remember when writing a definition essay is that the definitions of words and concepts are not all universally agreed upon. While we all agree on what a dog is, we might disagree as to what another word or concept, for example genocide or racism means. Given that there are disagreements about the meanings of these words, writing a definition essay involves looking at these disagreements and making a case, based on a thesis and supporting evidence, for which definition of a given term or concept is the most appropriate.

Writing a definition essay not only means reciting the common definition of the word or concept that you are writing about. Rather, it involves exploring the complexity of the meaning that is associated with a given word or concept. It is not possible to write a good definition essay on a topic that is not associated with definitional controversy. Rather, and because the purpose of writing a definition essay is to determine which definition of a given concept or term is superior, writing a definition essays means that you should choose a concept or term that is the subject of disagreement and contestation.

In writing a definition essay, you must be able to break down the different components of the definition of the word that you are writing on. In so doing, you will be looking for disagreements regarding the definition of the concept in the scholarly literature and other sources. These disagreements might involve different elements of the word or concept. Taking the example of genocide discussed above, disagreements about its definition might emerge from the legal perspective, the ethical perspective, and the practical perspective. Writing a good definition essay means that you will explore definitional disagreements across multiple such areas of a term or concept.

Ultimately, writing a definition essay involves examining the competing definitions of a given word or concept so as to make an argument in favor of how the word or concept should best be defined. Writing a definition essay thus involves using your critical thinking skills so as to examine different versions of the definition of the word or concept and taking these into account in writing your definition essay. You will compare and contrast these definitions as you write a definition essay and your thesis will reflect which definition you believe to be superior and why.

HOW TO WRITE A DEFINITION ESSAY

The first step in writing a definition essay is to decide the topic or word that you will be defining. While your teacher or professor will sometimes assign you a word or concept to write your definition essay on, you will often have a significant choice in terms of determining what you will write a definition essay on. It is best to choose a word or concept that you are familiar with as this will make it easier to write a definition essay. This said, writing a definition essay involves unpacking and deconstructing competing definitions of the word or concept. This means that, even if you are very familiar with what you are defining, you must keep an open mind when you are writing a definition essay. Because some definitions of your word or concept might diverge from your understanding of it, it is important that you keep an open mind when writing a definition essay to take into account definitions that are at odds with your opinion.

Once you have chosen your topic to write your definition essay, it is best to work backwards by completing your research on the definition of your word or concept before composing a thesis. This is the best approach for writing a definition essay because it allows you to identify the disagreements regarding the definition of your word or concept that are present in the scholarly literature or in other sources. Once you have found these disagreements, continue writing your definition paper by outlining these areas of disagreement and formulating your thesis on the basis of these disagreements. In writing your definition essay, your thesis will thus be generated after you have completed most of the research on your topic.

Finally, writing the body paragraphs of your definition essay requires that each paragraph or section focus on a separate and distinct element of the definition. Each paragraph should highlight a particular area of contention or disagreement regarding the word or concept that you are defining. In writing your definition essay, maintaining this structure is important as it will ensure that your definition essay is organized in an optimal fashion and is easy to read. Make sure that you tie each of the body paragraphs back to your thesis as you write a definition essay. As with an academic essay, do not introduce any new information into the conclusion when writing a definition essay.

HOW TO FORMAT A DEFINITION ESSAY

When writing a definition essay, you will likely be using external sources to support your definition. Because writing a definition essay is most common in English classes, you will likely be using MLA style. This said, you might also be asked to use APA or Chicago style in writing a definition essay. Regardless of the style guide that you are asked to use, make sure to either research a Purdue style guide online or follow the template for your definition essay provided by your professor to ensure that your formatting is right, and that you do not lose points for formatting or citation errors in writing a definition essay.

Once you have formatted and referenced your definition essay, read over what you have written to make sure that all of your body paragraphs deal with distinct elements of the definition of that which you are writing about. In the traditional five-paragraph essay form that is common when writing a definition essay, this means that you should have at least three different areas in which you are comparing different elements of the definition of the concept you are writing about. When you have finished writing a definition essay, make sure that these three different areas are present and that you have topic sentences that clearly differentiate between the different elements of the definition that you are writing about in your definition essay.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DEFINITION ESSAY AND A TRADITIONAL ESSAY?

The main difference between writing a definition essay and writing a traditional academic essay is tied to the focus on defining a given topic that is associated with writing a definition essay. With both writing a traditional academic essay and writing a definition essay being premised on supporting a thesis, a definition essay is simply a very specific type of academic essay. Remember that while all definition essays are traditional academic essays, not all traditional academic essays are definition essays. As you write a definition essay, it is important that you continuously remember that your focus and thesis pertain to the definition of what you are writing about and that you should not go on tangents or extrapolate from your sources, as you might when writing a traditional academic essay, to go beyond the scope of the definition that you are writing a definition essay on.