stipulative definition

language and philosophy

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 19, 2026

Quick Summary

A stipulative definition is a declaration of meaning for a word, expression, or symbol that the speaker intends to attach. This meaning may not be an established use of the term. In philosophy, definitions specify the meaning of an expression within a language.12

Stipulative definitions can be categorized alongside lexical definitions (explaining an existing meaning using other words) and ostensive definitions (defining by pointing to examples). A stipulative definition assigns a new meaning to an existing expression or a meaning to a new expression. The term being defined is called the definiendum. This is distinct from a dictionary definition, which records established usage.21

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

4 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

definition
Stipulative definition assigns a new meaning to an expression (or a meaning to a new expression); the expression defined (definiendum) may either be a new expression that is being introduced into the language for the first time, or an expression that is already current.
Read More
Stipulative definition assigns a new meaning to an expression (or a meaning to a new expression); the expression defined (definiendum) may either be a new expression that is being introduced into the language for the first time, or an expression that is already current.
Read More