The Meaning of teigi [定義] In Japanese

定義
ていぎ
Romaji: teigi N2

What does 定義 mean?

Translation and Meaning

definition, fixed meaning

Definition

定義 (teigi) means a clear statement that specifies the precise meaning, scope, or boundary of a term or concept; it identifies the criteria that determine what belongs to that concept so speakers or systems can use the term consistently.

Type

noun (名詞); also a verbal noun used with “suru” as a suru-verb (サ変名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • The act or process of defining something (the operation of establishing meaning).
  • A formal technical statement used in mathematics and logic to set exact conditions for a concept.
  • A legal or contractual formulation that fixes an interpretation for terms within legislation or agreements.
  • The concise entry or gloss you find in a dictionary or glossary that explains a word.
  • In computing and specifications, a declaration that fixes a name, type, or behavior for code, data structures, or protocols.

Origin

The compound entered Japanese from Sino-Japanese vocabulary; its use to label precise meanings increased with scholarly and bureaucratic writings and became especially widespread during the Meiji period when translators and intellectuals adopted concise terms for Western legal, scientific, and philosophical concepts.

Composition

  • 定 (tei): to fix, decide, set — conveys the sense of making something settled or established.
  • 義 (gi): meaning, justice, righteousness — here it functions as ‘meaning’ or ‘sense’.
  • Together they produce the sense of a ‘fixed meaning’ or an established sense for a term, which is the core idea of a definition.

Usage

Used in formal and technical contexts to state what a word or concept means precisely—common in academic papers, legal texts, specifications, textbooks, classroom explanations and technical documentation; in everyday conversation it appears when speakers ask for or offer a precise meaning, and it functions grammatically as a noun that pairs with verbs or grammatical constructions to indicate defining actions.
💡 Tips
Imagine pinning a label (定) that reads ‘meaning’ (義) onto a concept — that fixed label is the definition.

Variations

  • 意味 (imi): meaning — general sense rather than a fixed definition.
  • 説明 (setsumei): explanation — broader explanatory content rather than a strict boundary.
  • 未定義 (miteigi): undefined — antonym used when no definition is provided.
  • 定義付け (teigidzuke): defining/assignment — emphasizes the act of giving a definition.
定義