Hi,

I have a serious problem. I’m convinced that the verb precising (something) exists. According to me it should mean make something precise or define something with precision (pontosít in Hungarian). Come to think of it, I believe it to have the same meaning as the French verb préciser. Now, I’ve already tried every possible spelling and MS Word spell checker still refuses it. I thought I’d outsmart it easily and tried looking up the word in a dictionary. What a disaster. The dictionary is obviously against me too. Clearly denies hosting any such verb. Please help. I desperately want to use the term not precised question. What do you suggest I do? I could always rewrite the Britannica, or I could found a neologist sect spreading the meaning of precising and unprecised.

Sophie

Does this help at all?


precising definition

A precising definition is a definition that extends the dictionary definition (lexical definition) of a term for a specific purpose by including additional criteria that narrow down the set of things meeting the definition.

For example, a dictionary may define the term "student" as "1. anyone attending an educational institution of any type, or 2. anyone who studies something." However, a movie theater may propose a precising definition for the word "student" of "any person under the age of 18 enrolled in a local school" in order to determine who is eligible to receive discounted tickets.

Precising definitions are generally used in contexts where vagueness is unacceptable; many legal definitions are precising definitions, as are company policies. This type of definition is useful in preventing disputes that arise from the involved parties using different definitions of the term in question.

This is similar to a stipulative definition, but differs in that a stipulative definition may contradict the lexical definition, while a precising definition does not.


D

Parker, I'm very much impressed by your precising definition. I think it helps. Thanks.

S.

I would hate to play scrabble with you Sophie

Ah!!! skrabble, now there's a game eye can 't ever win. Anyone for Ludo?