What does definitional mean?
"Definitional" is a formal adjective describing anything that pertains to a definition — that is, to the act or content of stating what a word or concept means. A definitional statement simply fixes the meaning of a term rather than reporting an observed fact about the world. Because of this, the word carries a subtle second force: calling an argument "definitional" often implies it is true only by stipulation, following automatically from how terms have been laid out rather than from evidence. Scholars in philosophy, law, and linguistics frequently invoke "definitional disputes" to identify disagreements that are really about word choice, not substance. The adjective derives from "definition," which traces back through Latin definire, "to set bounds to" — fittingly, a definition sets the boundaries of a concept's meaning.
adjectiveRelating to or consisting of a definition; of the nature of a definition. Also used to describe something that follows necessarily from a definition rather than from observation or evidence.
- Relating to or of the nature of a definition (e.g. a definitional statement).
- Following necessarily from the way a term is defined rather than from empirical fact; tautological.
"The distinction between the two terms is merely definitional, reflecting nothing about how the concepts behave in practice."
"The debate stalled because the two sides were working from definitional disagreements about what counts as intelligence."
"Her point was purely definitional: by her usage of the word, the claim could not be false."
When scholars call an argument 'merely definitional,' they're politely saying it's true by definition — and therefore tells us almost nothing new.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of definitional
"Definitional" is formed from "definition" plus the adjectival suffix -al. "Definition" itself comes from Latin definitio, derived from the verb definire, meaning "to mark the limits of," from de- (indicating completion) and finire ("to bound or end"), which in turn comes from finis, "boundary or limit." English thus shares this root with words like "definitive," "define," and "finite."
Related word forms
How definitional is actually used
Primarily formal or academic in register, appearing most often in philosophy, linguistics, law, and scholarly argument. The slightly dismissive phrase "merely definitional" is common when critics want to suggest that a claim is trivially true and adds no substantive insight.
Easily confused with definitional
"Definitional" relates to definitions themselves, while "definitive" means conclusive, authoritative, or final.