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Meaning of "definite description" in the English dictionary

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DICTIONARY
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PRONUNCIATION OF DEFINITE DESCRIPTION

definite description play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF DEFINITE DESCRIPTION

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Definite description is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES DEFINITE DESCRIPTION MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Definite description

A definite description is a denoting phrase in the form of "the X" where X is a noun-phrase or a singular common noun. The definite description is proper if X applies to a unique individual or object. For example: "the first person in space" and "the 42nd President of the United States of America", are proper. The definite descriptions "the person in space" and "the Senator from Ohio" are improper because the noun phrase X applies to more than one thing, and the definite descriptions "the first man on Mars" and "the Senator from Washington D.C." are improper because X applies to nothing. Improper descriptions raise some difficult questions about the law of excluded middle, denotation, modality, and mental content.

Definition of definite description in the English dictionary

The definition of definite description in the dictionary is a description that is modified by the definite article or a possessive, such as the woman in white or Rosemary's baby. Other definition of definite description is a similar plural expression, such as the kings of Scotland.

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE DEFINITE DESCRIPTION

defined-benefit
definement
definer
definienda
definiendum
definiens
definientia
definite
definite article
definite integral
definitely
definiteness
definition
definitional
definitise
definitive
definitively
definitiveness
definitize
definitude

WORDS THAT END LIKE DEFINITE DESCRIPTION

absorption
accreditation
adoption
alcohol consumption
assumption
caption
conception
consumption
corruption
description
disruption
encryption
exception
inscription
option
perception
prescription
reception
redemption
subscription
transcription

Synonyms and antonyms of definite description in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «definite description» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF DEFINITE DESCRIPTION

Find out the translation of definite description to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of definite description from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «definite description» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

明确的说明
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

descripción definida
570 millions of speakers

English

definite description
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

निश्चित विवरण
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

وصف واضح
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

определенное описание
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

descrição definida
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

সুনির্দিষ্ট বিবরণ
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

description définie
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Penerangan pasti
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

definitive Beschreibung
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

確定記述
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

명확한 설명
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Definitif deskripsi
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

Mô tả rõ ràng
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

திட்டவட்டமான விளக்கம்
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

निश्चित वर्णन
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

Kesin açıklama
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

descrizione definita
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

definitywna opis
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

певне опис
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

descripție definită
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

σαφή περιγραφή
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

definitiewe beskrywing
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

definitiv beskrivning
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

klar beskrivelse
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of definite description

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «DEFINITE DESCRIPTION»

The term «definite description» is used very little and occupies the 156.860 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Rarely used
27
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «definite description» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of definite description
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «definite description».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «DEFINITE DESCRIPTION» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «definite description» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «definite description» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about definite description

EXAMPLES

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «DEFINITE DESCRIPTION»

Discover the use of definite description in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to definite description and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Readings in the Philosophy of Language
Keith. S. Donnellan. Definite descriptions, I shall argue, have two possible functions.1 They are used to refer to what a speaker wishes to talk about, but they are also used quite differently. Moreover, a definite description occurring in one and ...
Peter Ludlow, 1997
2
The Semantics-Pragmatics Boundary in Philosophy
Moreover, a definite description occurring in one and the same sentence may, on different occasions of its use, function in either way. The failure to deal with this duality of function obscures the genuine referring use of definite descriptions.
Maite Ezcurdia, Robert J. Stainton, 2013
3
An Introduction to Logical Theory
We said above that a definite description is composed of a functional description and a singular term. This asser— tion is not exactly correct. A functional description might have more than one “blank.” A 2— place functional description has two ...
Aladdin M. Yaqub, 2013
4
Philosophy of Language: The Central Topics
Nor is the person attempting to refer to someone by using the definite description. On the other hand, reverse the name and description in the question and the speaker probably would be thought to presuppose or imply this. "Is the king of ...
Susana Nuccetelli, Gary Seay, 2008
5
Semantics; an Interdisciplinary Reader in Philosophy, ...
For when the definite description is used referentially, one's audience may succeed in seeing to what one refers even though neither it nor anything else fits the description. 6 The result of the last section shows something to be wrong with the ...
Danny D. Steinberg, Leon A. Jakobovits, 1971
6
Logic: The Laws of Truth
The definite description operator ι —like the quantifiers ∀ and ∃—binds variables. We call ι the “definite description operator.” Let us refer to ι x, ι y, and so on—that is, the definite description operator plus a variable—as a definition ...
Nicholas Jeremy Josef Smith, 2012
7
Essays on A Priori Knowledge and Justification: Essays
If one uses the definite description attributively in introducing “one meter” by means ofsentence (2), then one is using “one meter” as the name ofthe length of S at t0 whatever it may be. The term is not being introduced as the name of a ...
Albert Casullo, 2012
8
Russell Vs. Meinong: The Legacy of "On Denoting"
rise to a peculiar phenomenon: The attempt to form a singular proposition about the content of a definite description inevitably results instead in a general proposition about the individual designated by the description. This is the Collapse.
Nicholas Griffin, Dale Jacquette, 2008
9
Linguistic Semantics
On one interpretation, the definite description the leader of the Smoomies attributes properties to the individual talking; here, the speaker believes that I have a sense of the same denotation as he does. This is the attributive function of definite ...
William Frawley, 2013
10
Perspectives in the Philosophy of Language: A Concise Anthology
Strawson, on the other hand, certainly does recognize a referential use of definite definitions. But what I think he did not see is that a definite description may have a quite different role - may be used nonreferentially, even as it occurs in one ...
Robert J. Stainton, 2000

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «DEFINITE DESCRIPTION»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term definite description is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Officers search for suspect shooting from rooftop
But because of the time it occurred, it's difficult to have a definite description of the suspect. Witnesses say the shooter was in a corner of the ... «KSWO, Jul 15»
2
The History Of Our Town (April 28, 1967 edition)
In some of the Old Deeds and Maps we find the name of Madame Robert listed in this area, but since there is no definite description we cannot ... «Ste. Genevieve Herald, Jun 15»
3
Sheriff's Office searching for hit and run driver
No injuries were reported in the crash but the other three drivers were unable to provide a definite description of the black 4-door passenger car ... «Current in Carmel, May 15»
4
Woman made false rape claim to get 'free lift home with police'
Prosecuting Counsel Suzanne Gallagher told the court that the defendant gave police a definite description of her alleged attacker and that he ... «The Ulster Herald, Apr 15»
5
Gal Gadot: Why she's not a good fit for Wonder Woman
There is a definite description of Wonder Woman. So how the actress looks is just as important as her acting ability. Why can't you see that. «Flickering Myth, Mar 15»
6
Data Collection and Metadata: What Does it Look Like?
We are only seeing a draft version. A definite description of metadata will be fleshed out when the government understands what it's looking for. «Sam Volkering's Tech Insider, Feb 15»
7
Police seek info on suspicious incident at Salem school
... school after being denied permission to take the student away in what appeared — it was dark by that time so a definite description is limited ... «The Salem News, Jan 15»
8
Samsung Galaxy S6 specs, features, and release date rumors
The camera feature of this upcoming gadget still has no definite description. Fans are debating whether the Samsung Galaxy S6 will be ... «ChristianToday, Aug 14»
9
Is Mythicism an Ebola-Like Virus?
In the definite description view, 'Ian' is short for 'the guy who comments on Exploring Our Matrix and has that cartoony avatar image and was ... «Patheos, Aug 14»
10
Clarksburg Residents Seek Answers Regarding Councilman Sam …
"Moral turpitude as you are referring to is a very gray area and we actually are working with our legal counsel to get a definite description of that ... «WBOY-TV, Jan 14»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Definite description [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/definite-description>. Apr 2024 ».
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