Catholic Dictionary

Find accurate definitions of over 5,000 Catholic terms and phrases (including abbreviations). Based on Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

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DEFINITION

A statement either declaring the meaning of a term or explaining what an essence is. A real definition identifies the nature of what is defined, a descriptive definition gives the characteristic properties, a causal definition tells how something comes into being, and a verbal or nominal definition merely explains the meaning of a word or of its sources and roots. (Etym. Latin definitio, limitation, restriction; determination.)