Students will often be asked to define terms or concepts on tests or exams. What follows is an outline of the basic components that should be included within a thorough and well-structured definition.

Every definition should accomplish the following tasks, within the following order:

i) Identify: Identify the term or concept - simply and precisely.

ii) Elaborate: Provide further information regarding the concept.

iii) Relate: Establish the relevance of the term to broader themes or concepts examined within the particular unit of study.

Democratic Rights: A section of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This section guarantees all Canadians the right to vote for elected officials and to participate within the electoral process. These rights are enshrined within the constitution, and will therefor apply throughout Canada and across all levels of government.

• The term being defined should never be included within the definition.

• A good definition should only be able to describe the specific term in question - it should not be so vague that it could also be used to define some other term or concept.

• Try to maintain a linear train of thought by completing any idea which you start. Bad definitions often read like some sort of strange word association exercise!

• Bad definitions will often sound like some sort of riddle - offering the reader clues about the term, but failing to actually identify the substance of the term. For example, if we are going to define the term "preferred stock," we cannot forget to actually state that it is a document that signifies ownership in a corporation. A bad definition for "preferred stock" may read something like this...

  "It's less risky than common, yet common offers greater reward."

  This kind of definition leaves one thinking, "That's nice, but what is it?!" A better definition for preferred stock would read as follows:

  "A security, bought and sold on the public stock exchange, which offers the purchaser a share of ownership within a corporation. This form of share provides the investor with a pre-determined rate of return, but is unlikely to generate significant capital gains."