stipulative definition

noun phrase

Meaning

An assignment of a specific, often new or restricted, meaning to a term for the purpose of a particular discussion, theory, or context.

Examples

  • The author provided a stipulative definition of 'intelligence' at the start of the paper to avoid ambiguity.
  • In this legal contract, we use a stipulative definition of 'business day' that excludes all weekends and public holidays.

Synonyms: convention, specification, stipulation