1. Writing Technical
Definitions

2. Technical Definitions
 Describe and define new products and
services
 Introduce new information to reader
in clear and effective ways
 Allow experts and specialists to
communicate with a more generalized
audience

3. Planning for Audience (p. 453)
 Identify stakeholders
 Determine the amount and kind
of technical language or jargon to
use
 Acknowledge differences in
language

4. Planning for Problem
& Purpose (p. 454)
 Explanatory Definitions
 To explain a concept, thing, or idea to readers
 Operational Definitions
 To enable audiences to engage in an activity or
operation
 Deliberative Definitions
 To clarify the meanings of terms, ideas, and concepts

5. Types of Definitions
Short, Parenthetical &
Extended

6. Short Definitions
 Are typically only a sentence or two to
provide meaning for the reader
 Are usually categorical, placing the
term in a category of similar terms
 May provide descriptions of use or
other distinguishing characteristics of
the term

7. Parenthetical Definitions
 Are typically only a sentence or two to
provide meaning for the reader
 Are usually categorical, placing the
term in a category of similar terms
 May provide descriptions of use or
other distinguishing characteristics of
the term

8. Extended Definitions
 May use the different kinds of
definitions outlined earlier, like
descriptions or visuals
 Exist in lengthier texts where
audiences need detailed
information

9. Researching & Drafting

10. Researching Definitions
 Is often necessary to construct
definitions that deal with
unfamiliar ideas and concepts
 Produces more accurate and
effective definitions

11. Drafting Definitions
 Includes putting together an initial definition
and placing it in the context of the document
 Involves fitting the definition into the scope
of the document
 This is harder than it seems – where does it
fit and how? Where would you put this so it
made sense for your audience and purpose?

12. Building your Definition

13. Kinds of Definitions
 Definitions that describe
 Definitions that compare and contrast
 Definitions that classify
 Definitions that provide examples
 Definitions that illustrate with visuals

14. Definitions that Describe
 Often work by describing what something looks like, feels
like, sounds like, or smells like
 Often appeal to the readers’ visual senses by describing
size, shape, and appearance
 Often describe what the thing does, how it is used, and to
what purpose

15. Definitions that Describe
Example:
Aielron:
A small, slender, hinged section on the outer portion of a
wing, used to control an aircraft’s rolling and banking
movements. Ailerons usually work in opposition: as the
left aileron is deflected upward, the right is deflected
downward, and vice versa.

16. Definitions that Compare &
Contrast
 Give similarities or differences between subjects
 Often compare or contrast something unfamiliar with
something the audience knows
 Provide a frame of reference by giving context

17. Definitions that Compare &
Contrast
Example:
Flash Drive:
A small, lightweight, portable Universal Serial Bus (USB)
device that allows users to store, carry, and transfer
programs and files, much like the older 3.5-inch floppy
disk. The flash drive, however, differs from the older
floppy disks; it is much smaller (only 70 mm long, 30 mm
wide, and about 11 mm in height) and more durable and
contains no internal moving parts.

18. Definitions that Classify
 Categorize a term within a larger group in order to provide
a context or association
 Can be problematic because not everyone agrees on the
meaning of particular categories

19. Definitions that Classify
Example:
Someone writing a field guide to birds and animals in
Texas could safely assume that many people would not
know what an ocelot is.
However, if the writer begins by defining an ocelot as a
kind of wildcat, much of the mystery of the term
disappears because most if not all readers can identify a
wildcat.

20. Definitions that Provide Examples
 Provide a clear-cut and familiar example of the thing or
concept being defined
 Should use examples familiar to the audience
 Frequently clarify abstract terms

21. Definitions that Provide Examples
Example:
Sports car might be defined as vehicles with sleek body
styles, superior acceleration, little cargo space, and so
forth.
While such a definition would be useful, any definition of
sports car would benefit by providing specific examples:
Chevrolet Corvette, Dodge Viper, or Porsche 911, for
example.

22. Definitions that Illustrate
with Visuals
 Give readers visual prompts to give clear and quick
understanding
 Benefit the reader by including a picture in addition to a
written definition
 Help explain concepts that one cannot actually see with
the naked eye

23. Definitions that Illustrate
with Visuals

24. Ethics & Warnings

25. Ethics in Technical Definitions
 Be aware of how definitions can potentially mislead,
confuse, or cause danger or harm.
 Ensure that readers have all the information necessary to
use the product safely.
 Rely on correct, unbiased information to help audiences
make decisions.

26. Ethics in Technical Definitions
 Full Disclosure
 Writers have not omitted any information that an
audience needs to comprehend the term
 Appropriate Style
 Select a style that should be clearly grasped by the
target audience

27. Common Mistakes
 Circular Definitions
 Using the term in defining it
 Synonyms
 Using a similar term gives no useful information
 Not User-Oriented
 Failing to take the users’ or audiences’ knowledge,
background, and needs into account

28. Start the Process

29. Steps:
 Identify the topic of your technical definition
 Identify your audience
 Identify purpose of definition (explanatory,
operational, deliberative)
 Select the type of combination of types of definitions
that will work best for your topic, audience, and
purpose.
 Research your topic
 Draft and Revise (pg 458)