With the global economy facing uncertainty, you may be one of the many people who’ve decided to increase your skill set and knowledge by going back to college. If you’ve never been to college, things may be a bit overwhelming, and if you have, but it’s been a while since you’ve been there, you’ll probably notice that things have changed. One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is the paper writing. You still have to take English courses, where you’ll have to write plenty of essays, and even in many of your other classes, you’ll still have to write papers.
There are plenty of different types of essays you’ll be assigned to write during your college career, but the one that often gives students the most problems is the definition essay. Don’t worry, though; in this blog, I’ll break down what a definition essay is and walk you through the steps to write an excellent definition essay with confidence.
What Is a Definition Essay?
So, you’ve been assigned to write a definition essay, but you’re having a tough time even understanding what it is. Actually, this is pretty common. Many college professors don’t take the time to explain this type of essay in detail, often thinking that the students know what it is based on the name or that the textbook’s definition is good enough.
As the name indicates, a definition essay is an essay that explores the definition of a particular term. That’s the most basic definition, but let’s dive a little deeper into this so you can begin your definition essay on the right foot.
A good definition essay examines the nuances of a particular word and considers different definitions before settling on one that will be defended as part of the thesis statement. In addition to thoroughly defining a particular term, a good definition essay usually explores more complex, abstract terms that can be defined and interpreted in many different ways. It’s important to remember that although you are defining a term in a definition essay, you are defining it from a subjective perspective that you will defend throughout your paper.
With that explanation in mind, let’s take a look at some different types of definition essays.
Different Types of Definition Essays
Before you even choose a definition essay topic and start your outline, it’s important to consider the type of definition essay you’ll write. Generally speaking, definition essays can be categorized into seven different types: analysis, classification, comparison, details, negation, origins and causes, and results, effects, and uses. Let’s look at each of these types briefly.
In an analysis essay, you break down your term into different parts and define each of those as you go forward in the essay.
The analysis essay is similar to the classification essay, where you categorize your term. You’ll want to think of multiple ways your term can be classified to make the essay more complex.
A comparison essay is one where you compare your term to other, more common things in order to demonstrate how important or unique your term is.
As the term indicates, with a details essay, you focus on specific traits that make your term unique or important.
The negation essay can be useful if you are writing about a very abstract word that’s difficult to define. So, instead of writing about what your term is, you write about what it isn’t in a negation essay.
An origins and causes essay is good if you want to show the historical relevance of your term and how the term has changed over time.
Finally, the results, effects, and uses essay is a good way to demonstrate how your term has impacted an individual, family, or even greater society.
Choosing a Definition Essay Topic
Let’s assume that your professor has assigned your class to write a definition essay on the term of your choice. So, the first thing you need to do is to sit down and start the brainstorming process. Because your essay needs to be engaging and interesting, you’ll need to come up with a term that can be approached from multiple angles, so you should focus on more abstract terms. Terms that refer to physical objects, animals, people, etc., are not good because they are usually too simple. Instead, choose an abstract term that may have multiple definitions.
Good terms to write about include emotions and personality traits, such as anger, joy, and loyalty, for example. Terms related to ideas are also good, so democracy, dictatorship, and freedom could also provide the base for an excellent essay. It’s important to remember that your term should have multiple definitions, depending on the context and the perspective. Also, don’t be afraid to use a controversial term, as long as you define why it’s controversial, because that will add more depth to your essay and make it more exciting to read!
Let’s move forward with a hypothetical example to detail what the structure of a good definition essay should look like.
Definition Essay Structure
I’ve chosen to define the term “democracy” for our example, so doing researching it is the next step. I look up the term in multiple dictionaries and do a little research on how it means different things to different people and has changed over the centuries. Because democracy is derived from an ancient Greek concept and term, I’ve decided to follow the origins and causes type for this essay. Next, I formulate my thesis.
Crafting a thesis statement for a definition essay is similar to formulating a thesis for other types of essays, but in this case, your thesis will be your definition of the term. After doing my research, I’ve determined that democracy is an ancient term that has changed meaning throughout history, yet nearly all people agree that it refers to a government ruled by the majority.
The basic structure of a definition essay also follows the same pattern and order as other types of essays. So, the first paragraph will be the introduction, where you state the thesis clearly. The first sentence in the intro should be the hook, where you capture the interest of the reader. The hook for our hypothetical example will be the following: “The term democracy gets used quite a bit, especially in election years, but what does it really mean?” In the next two or three sentences, you should give a brief overview of the term and note how it is abstract and subjective, as its meaning has been quite fluid throughout history and in different cultures and countries.
After providing a brief background of the term, you state your thesis. For our example, it can be something like this: “Democracy is a term that has evolved through the ages and has meant different things to different people, but most people agree that democracy refers to rule by the popular will.”
The next two or three paragraphs are the main body of your essay, where you support your thesis with examples. Because I’m following the origins and cause type, my first paragraph of the main body will cover how the Athenian Greeks invented the word, as well as the type of government. I’ll point out how it was vastly different than what people today consider democracy, as only free male Athenians had the right to vote. After thoroughly discussing the Athenian version of democracy, I’ll use a transition sentence to segue into the next paragraph of the main body.
For my next paragraph, I’ll focus on democracies in the early modern period beginning in the 1700s. I’ll point out how some democracies had, and still have, kings and nobilities while others don’t. I’ll also note how ancient Greek democracy died with the ancient Greeks and that what many early modern Westerners called democracy was really closer to the ancient Romans’ style of government known as “republicanism.”
In the third and final paragraph of the main body, I’ll bring the ever-changing definition of democracy to the present. I’ll discuss how during the Cold War communist dictatorships referred to their governments as “people’s democracies” and how modern political parties claim to be more democratic than their adversaries, often using the term in the names of their parties.
The final paragraph of the essay is the conclusion. A good conclusion paragraph is a mirror of the intro paragraph in many ways. It helps to start the paragraph with a catchy sentence that is similar to your intro hook, but what’s most important is summarizing all your major points and restating your thesis. If you follow this format, then you’re well on your way to success, but with that in mind, there are some things you need to consciously avoid writing and doing your research.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
When you get into the writing process, sometimes it’s easy to get tunnel vision and only think about reaching your final goal, so you often forget about some of the more common mistakes. There are a number of things you should avoid during the essay writing process, beginning with choosing the topic and several other things until you actually submit your essay.
One of the most common mistakes is making your term too ambiguous. There can be a fine line between an abstract term, which can have different and changing definitions and a term that can be confusing.
Closely connected to this mistake is using too much technical jargon. Yes, you want to impress your reader with plenty of facts in your definition essay, but remember that your reader is probably not an expert. For the example of “democracy” that I’ve used in this blog, I probably don’t want to get too obscure with the history and only use terminology that the reader wouldn’t need a dictionary for. Along those lines, you should always take the time to provide evidence that supports your definition and explain to your reader why that evidence is important.
You’ll also want to avoid conducting incomplete research. After doing some research on your term, you may feel the urge to jump right into the writing process but resist that urge. Uncover every possible definition of the term that you’ve chosen, which includes every detail and nuance and the different ways it can be interpreted. Once your research is complete with you examining the term from every possible perspective, the writing process will be much easier and the final product will be much better.
Final Tips
In addition to those things that you shouldn’t do, there are also a number of smaller things you should always remember to do. First, always give yourself enough time to complete every step in the essay writing process. Chances are that when you get the assignment, the due date will be weeks in the future, but that doesn’t mean you should procrastinate. Budget your time properly so that you complete your first draft at least several days before the due date.
And don’t think that you’ll be able to write one draft and turn it in. Every “A” essay writer knows that producing a good paper requires plenty of proofreading and usually multiple drafts. The most effective way how to finish an essay includes taking the time to thoroughly read the document for grammatical mistakes and diction problems, and if possible, have a friend or colleague read through it as well.
Define Your Writing
As you embark on your task of writing a definition essay, remember to stay calm and focused. The information in this blog will serve as your roadmap to better essay writing, yet you have to remember to do the work. By following this roadmap, you’ll eventually notice that your definition writing abilities will improve, and so too will your grades! Eventually, you’ll gain new confidence in your definition essay writing abilities, and after a while, you may even enjoy the experience.
Yes, you read that correctly. I guarantee that the better and more confident you become at definition essay writing, you’ll actually start to have fun during the process!
