# How to get better at defining terms?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-better-at-defining-terms/648437>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [January 26, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-better-at-defining-terms/648437 "2013-01-26T14:45:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-better-at-defining-terms/648437/21 "2013-01-28T00:38:34Z")

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> [@Anonymous User](#):
>
> Alright, I’m going to define the word “material” in my own words without looking at any sources.
> 
> Material - a substance; what something is made of.
> 
> How did I do?

That’s not bad. Remember though that words often have more than one meaning, and in this case you’ve only covered one of the meanings.

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**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-better-at-defining-terms/648437/22 "2013-01-28T00:42:34Z")

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Become a contestant on the $64,000 pyramid or Password.

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**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-better-at-defining-terms/648437/23 "2013-01-28T04:00:26Z")

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> [@Anonymous User](#):
>
> Alright, I’m going to define the word “material” in my own words without looking at any sources.
> 
> Material - a substance; what something is made of.
> 
> How did I do?

You gave two different things: a synonym and an explanation. Both are valid definitions.

As **Isamu** said, try to come up with definitions for the other meanings of “material”, for other meanings of “substance”, and with other synonyms. See if you can find a few antonyms too.

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