definition
def·in·ition/ˌdɛf.ɪˈnɪʃ.ən/noun
definition is spelled D-E-F-I-N-I-T-I-O-N, 3 syllables: def·in·ition. The wrong spelling people search most is defintion: about 480 Bing searches a month in the United States (September 2025 to August 2026), about 1 in 57 of all searches for the word. Definition is a noun meaning “A statement of the meaning of a word, word group, sign, or symbol; especially, a dictionary definition”. The plural of definition is definitions.
How many letters and syllables are in definition?
| Letters | 10: D-E-F-I-N-I-T-I-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: def·in·ition |
| In writing | 38 times per million words; the 2,581st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | 3; the most searched, defintion, about 480 Bing searches a month (all of them) |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).
How do you spell definition?
Definition is spelled D-E-F-I-N-I-T-I-O-N. 3 wrong spellings are searched or written often enough to measure; together they are about 1 in 29 of the searches for definition in either form.
Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026). Wrong spellings are taken from Wiktionary entries tagged "misspelling" and its obsolete or nonstandard forms, Wikipedia's Lists of common misspellings and the codespell dictionary, then measured. The proofreader's marks show the change that corrects each one.
How common is definition?
Definition appears 38 times per million words in written English, the 2,581st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce definition?
- /ˌdɛf.ɪˈnɪʃ.ən/
- /ˌdɛf.əˈnɪʃ.ən/
Definition has 3 syllables, split def·in·ition in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-definition.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of definition
- definitions plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does definition mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A statement of the meaning of a word, word group, sign, or symbol; especially, a dictionary definition.
Your definition of "elephant" needs to be more precise than "a big animal with large ears".
- 2
A clear instance conforming to the dictionary or textbook definition.
Baroque is a good game, but only for a very narrow subset of the gaming audience. It is the very definition of a niche title.
- 3
A statement expressing the essential nature of something; formulation.
- 4
The action or process of defining.
- 5
The act of defining; determination of the limits.
- 6
A product of defining.
- 7
The action or power of describing, explaining, or making definite and clear.
Her comic genius is beyond definition.
- 8
Clarity of visual presentation, distinctness of outline or detail.
The definition of a telescope.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate definition?
Wiktionary records 4 abbreviations of definition: def, def'n, def., defn.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Definition in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | définition |
| German | Begriffsbestimmung, Definition , Definierung , Begriffserklärung |
| Portuguese | definição , descritibilidade |
| Spanish | definición |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does definition come from?
From Middle English diffinicioun, from Middle French definition, from Latin dēfīnītiō, from dēfīniō. Equivalent to define + -ition.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).