Definitionism (also called the classical theory of concepts) is the school of thought in which it is believed that a proper explanation of a

theory A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may ...

consists of all the

concept Concepts are defined as abstract ideas. They are understood to be the fundamental building blocks of the concept behind principles, thoughts and beliefs. They play an important role in all aspects of cognition. As such, concepts are studied by ...

s used by that theory being well-defined. This approach has been criticized for its dismissal of the importance of

ostensive definition An ostensive definition conveys the meaning of a term by pointing out examples. This type of definition is often used where the term is difficult to define verbally, either because the words will not be understood (as with children and new speake ...

References

Definition Metaphysical theories Metatheory Concepts {{metaphysics-stub