ostensive definition
- noun
- /ɑːˈstɛn.sɪv dɪˈfɪnɪʃən/
- Specialized
:
definición ostensible
- Teachers often use an ostensive definition to ensure students understand a concept by showing them real-life instances.
Examples
-
There are numerous cases where, as here, only an ostensive definition will serve.
Academic text (2005) -
But the criterion for this agreement is not just agreement with reference to definitions, e.g., ostensive definitions—but also an agreement in judgments.
Academic text (2017) -
An ostensive definition can help clarify the meaning of a word by providing specific examples that illustrate it.
-
In philosophy, an ostensive definition introduces a term by pointing to things that embody that term.
Synonyms
To show or point to something to explain its meaning
How Concrete
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly built from 'ostensive' (showing or indicating by example/pointing) + 'definition' (a statement explaining a word), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes a definition given by examples or demonstration rather than a verbal description. This is a straightforward compositional pattern (modifier + noun) and is readily interpretable across languages and contexts.
Etymology
Ostensive definition: The word ostensive comes from a root that meant 'to show', so an ostensive definition is a way of explaining a word by pointing to examples. So, it means 'to define by showing' rather than by a long word description.