Definition of definitions/en

Definitions types, used in the USM Glossary.

A definition is defined as an articulation of the meaning of a TERM by which the TERM can be distinguished from other TERMS. A term is a word or phrase that names a concept: an idea or thought in your mind.

A USM definition follows one of these five formats:

1. Type (genus/differentia) - TERM is derivative of higher term, with distinguishing feature X (inheritance, generalization, supertype).
   • Examples: Blaze - A horse with a white forehead. Palomino - A horse with white dots.
   • Covered relations from NL-SBB: "has supertype of", "is specialization of", "is copy of", "is category of", "is part of".
2. Composition (totum/dividere) - TERM is a whole, specified by describing its parts (hierarchy, whole/part).
   • Examples: Organization. A bunch of people doing things with stuff. Train - A locomotive with wagons.
   • Covered relations from NL-SBB: "includes".
3. Component (pars) - TERM is a part of a larger whole, with a specific characteristic.
   • Example: Leaf - A part of a plant organism, extending from the stem and forming an essential part of the photosynthetic process.
   • Covered relations from NL-SBB: "has superordinate understanding", "is part of".
4. Relationship (associatio) - TERM is a relationship between two entities (an association).
   • Example: Marriage - A legal relationship between two people.
5. Feature (signum) - TERM is a characteristic of an entity (a property).
   • Examples: Correctness - The degree to which something correctly represents its true value. Availability - The degree to which something is present for its intended situation/purpose.

Note: For taxonomies, one prefers to use only Type 1 definitions. However, the top term in a taxonomy will be of a different type.

Standards that are adopted for specifying the USM definitions include:

• NL-SBB
• ISO 704