Page 357 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing
P. 357
As you may have noticed, a dictionary definition is extremely brief and
entirely factual. However, there are two very brief examples in
definition 2—care and grief.
A definition essay is like a dictionary definition in some ways. For
example, a definition essay, like a dictionary definition, attempts to
capture the essence of something—an object, a feeling, or a task—in
words.
However, unlike the writer of a dictionary definition, you have the
luxury of using many words in your definition essay. Instead of a four-
word definition, you may have a four-hundred-word definition.
A definition essay might answer questions such as the following:
What is a status symbol?
What are the characteristics of a leader?
What does the word duty mean to you?
Laying the Groundwork for Writing a
Definition
