Technical definition

Short description: Explanation of technical terminology

A technical definition is a definition in technical communication describing or explaining technical terminology. Technical definitions are used to introduce the vocabulary which makes communication in a particular field succinct and unambiguous. For example, the iliac crest from medical terminology is the top ridge of the hip bone (see ilium).

## Contents

* 1 Types of technical definitions
* 1.1 Examples
* 2 Sentence definitions
* 2.1 Examples
* 3 Extended definitions
* 3.1 Examples
* 4 References

## Types of technical definitions

There are three main types of technical definitions.[1][definition needed]

1. Power definitions
2. Secondary definitions
3. Extended definitions

### Examples

Aniline, a benzene ring with an amine group, is a versatile chemical used in many organic syntheses.

The genus Helogale (dwarf mongooses) contains two species.

## Sentence definitions

These definitions generally appear in three different places: within the text, in margin notes, or in a glossary. Regardless of position in the document, most sentence definitions follow the basic form of term, category, and distinguishing features.

### Examples

A major scale is a diatonic scale which has the semitone interval pattern 2-2-1-2-2-2-1.

* term: major scale
* category: diatonic scales
* distinguishing features: semitone interval pattern 2-2-1-2-2-2-1

In mathematics, an abelian group is a group which is commutative.

* term: abelian group
* category: mathematical groups
* distinguishing features: commutative

## Extended definitions

When a term needs to be explained in great detail and precision, an extended definition is used. They can range in size from a few sentences to many pages. Shorter ones are usually found in the text, and lengthy definitions are placed in a glossary. Relatively complex concepts in mathematics require extended definitions in which mathematical objects are declared (e.g., let x be a real number...) and then restricted by conditions (often signaled by the phrase such that). These conditions often employ the universal and/or existential quantifiers (for all (∀), there exists (∃)).

Note: In mathematical definitions, convention dictates the use of the word if between the term to be defined and the definition; however, definitions should be interpreted as though if and only if were used in place of if.

### Examples

Definition of the limit of a single variable function:

> Let

> f

> be a real-valued function of a real variable and

> x

> ,

> a

> , and

> L

> be real numbers. We say that the limit of

> f

> as

> x

> approaches

> a

> is

> L

> (or,

> f(x)

> tends to

> L

> as

> x

> approaches

> a

> ) and write

> limx->af(x)=L

> if, for all

> ϵ>0

> , there exists

> δ>0

> such that whenever

> x

> satisfies

> 0<|x−a|<δ

> , the inequality

> |f(x)−L|<ϵ

> holds.

## References

1. ↑ Johnson-Sheehan, R: Technical Communication Today, pages 507-522. Pearson Longman, 2007

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