The Definition Essay
Essay Fundamentals/Senior Composition
The purpose of the definition essay is to share
your special understanding of an idea, word
or concept with the reader. Really, that’s it.
But this is a neat opportunity for you to bring
some real creativity to the art of essay writing.
Unburdened by the task of persuading the
reader that school should start later or that the
green light at the end of Daisy’s dock
represents Gatsby’s dream, you should try to
liberate your writing and bring some creativity
back to your composition. Here are some ideas.
1. Choose a topic/word/idea that you’re already
rather familiar with. Maybe you really love
science so the word mutation has a deep, rich
meaning for you. Also, take a look at what Wikipedia says…you might be surprised. You can’t
use it directly in your essay but it can start your exploration.
Don’t do this! Please!
2. Do a little research. Explore the etymology of your word; see how it has been used differently
over the years and in different localities. How is it used in different disciplines? Sometimes
those cross-discipline examinations make for compelling metaphorical approaches.
3. Explore how your understanding of the word has changed or evolved over your lifetime. For
instance, how did you and others see the word smart and how do you see it now? Use the
infamous time suck n-gram to graph its relative popularity over time. Or, how has the word been
used in the News? Check out Newswordy.
4. Consider antonyms, synonyms, homonyms, etc… Sometimes these hold curious seeds of
creativity. Similarly, one could look at how the word is translated into other languages. Wordnik
is a good resource for seeing how the word gets used on the Internet.
5. Consider how a poet would use the word…they always know how to get at the subtle nuances
of language. See this for help.
6. The geniuses at Guide to Grammar and Writing have a lock on this essay type. See what they
have to say. Finally, use the ridiculously helpful (daily updated) Arts & Letters daily for a big list
of academic and journalistic essays that could be great models, springboards for ideas, or
research for your essay
7. Finally, experiment. While writing can be hard, the price to write is pretty good. Imagine
you’re on a path to your word, but its still a ways down the road. As you progress toward it,
examine the cul-de-sacs, sneak down an alley, see what’s behind any left open gates. Words are
curious unpredictable things. Be open to mystery.
This essay should be 500-750 words and it should be compelling. The content focus is your
ability to share some new, special understanding of the word. If at any point you write something
like “Webster’s Dictionary defines X as blablabla…” I will make you do 20 jumping jacks.
More Resources
Good examples of Definition Essays in the Wild
Illegal alien
hack
Hard Work
Coffee
Schadenfreude
Apologies
Serendipity
Torture
Boredom
Advice on Writing Definition Essays
What does OWL have to say? Read it here.
Guide to Grammar and Writing’s advice.
On the other hand, College Essay Tips says this.
And Northern Colorado?
60 possible topics for Definition Essays.
Classic Resources
H.L. Mencken’s The American Language is the behemoth here. Check it out.
Ambrose Bierce’s work The Devil’s Dictionary is more idiosyncratic, but still hilarious. For
example, his definition of patience “A minor form of despair, disguised as a virtue.” See it here.
The New York Times has an On Language column which keeps up with slang and neologisms
that populate the culture. Here’s the current version. Here’s the old version.
Finally, Language Log is a great resource for all things linguistic. Note their discussion of
eggcorns, for instance.