A definition essay is aimed at explaining the meaning of a chosen term by providing its detailed description, as well as supporting its definition with decent facts or examples. 

Tips for Writing a Definition Essay

The following explanations are of great significance if a chosen term is abstract, special, disputed or debatable, or does not have a clear and common definition or meaning. For example, each person may interpret the definition of such terms as ‘love’ or ‘hatred’ quite differently.

Pieces of Advice for Writing Definition Essays

We will do our best so that you understand all the peculiar features of a definition essay. We hope that after reading the information below, you will be able to answer such a question as “what is a definition essay” by yourselves.

  1. Choose a term that you are interested in giving a definition and introducing it to the readers. You can do this in several ways, but take into account that your key goal is to indicate the content of your definition essay clearly.
  2. Conduct some research. Refer to such sources as dictionaries, encyclopedias, or thesauri to have a look at the ways how the chosen term is usually defined. Then you should think of the way to merge or combine all these definitions to present your unique definition.
  3. Prepare a definition essay outline.
  4. Present the chosen term to the readers in your essay introduction.
  5. In the body paragraphs, provide the readers with understandable and clear information about the chosen term. Along with the term description, you can highlight some cases or events when the following term is used. You can also indicate some historical information about the origin or the evolution of its application in language or literature. You can stress any common errors made in the term definition.
  6. Think of several sound and decent examples that will illustrate your definition.

How to write a definition essay: the topic choice

There is a great number of terms that people use each day. The majority of these terms are clear to almost each; though, there is a huge number of scientific or abstract terms that may be considered good or brilliant definition essay ideas.

We offer you some terms that may be chosen as a topic for your definition essay: 

  1. Happiness
  2. Love
  3. Death
  4. Despair
  5. Calmness
  6. God
  7. Devotion
  8. Hatred
  9. Ugliness
  10. Beauty
  11. Ethics
  12. The Evil and the Good
  13. Enlighten
  14. Confidence
  15. Privacy

Consider the following:

  1. Choose only those terms that you understand.
  2. You may define a term by explaining its key features, functions, nature, or structure. Also, you can define the term by noting what it does not mean or focusing on the differences.
  3. Follow a set structure. There should be the introduction, the main body paragraphs, and the conclusion.

You can always visit our site and have a close look at the free examples of definition essays. You are welcome 24/7/365!