summary definition

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "summary definition" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when providing a brief explanation or overview of a term or concept. Example: "In this article, we will provide a summary definition of artificial intelligence to help readers understand its basic principles."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

Academia

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

A definition also received the "inaccurate information" code if it simply described evolution as change over time (see summary definition of book 1 in Table 1).

Evolution: Education and Outreach

The only book with a summary definition that received at least one of these codes was a CA textbook (see Table 4).

Evolution: Education and Outreach

Secondly, while relatively few textbooks provided the "baseline" definition of evolution, 80% of the textbooks that provided a summary definition received the "additional information" code, as did three fourths of the textbooks that provided glossary definitions, over 60% of the textbooks with in-text definitions, and just over half of the textbooks with text box definitions.

Evolution: Education and Outreach

A fourth, summary, definition, "Any remission," was applied to patients who met any of the above remission category definitions.

Diabetes Care

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Finally, 40% of the glossary and summary definitions received inconsistent codes, as did one third of the in-text definitions and 18.2% of the text box definitions.

Evolution: Education and Outreach

Almost half of the definitions appearing in the text boxes received the codes for "incorrect information" and/or "cultural definition," as did more than one third of the in-text definitions and one fifth of the glossary and summary definitions.

Evolution: Education and Outreach

The percentages for CA books were substantially lower for summary definitions and higher for glossary and text box definitions, with the percentages for in-text definitions only seven points apart (in favor of PA textbooks; see Table 4).

Evolution: Education and Outreach

The percentage of CA textbooks with summary definitions that received the "descent with modification" code was also slightly higher than the percentage of PA textbooks, though the frequencies were very close.

Evolution: Education and Outreach

Regarding the definitions that received conflicting codes, the percentages for CA books were substantially lower for summary definitions and higher for glossary and text box definitions, with the percentages for in-text definitions only seven points apart (in favor of PA textbooks).

Evolution: Education and Outreach

More than one third of the definitions of evolution provided in the glossaries and text boxes received the code for "descent with modification" and/or "additional information," as did more than one fourth of the in-text definitions and one fifth of the summary definitions.

Evolution: Education and Outreach

The aim of this review is twofold: first, to provide a summary and definition of "treatment thresholds", and second, to outline these thresholds and describe how they related to low and high threshold treatment characteristics and outcomes.

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "summary definition" specifically when you are contrasting it with other types of definitions, such as in-text, glossary, or text box definitions as often seen in scientific literature analyzed by Ludwig.

Common error

Do not use "summary definition" when your intent is to provide an exhaustive or legalistic description of a term. Using this phrase explicitly signals to the reader that you are intentionally omitting nuance for the sake of brevity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "summary definition" functions as a compound noun phrase where "summary" acts as an attributive noun modifying "definition". According to Ludwig AI, it is primarily used to distinguish specific types of explanatory content in structured documents like textbooks.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

75%

Academia

15%

News & Media

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Wiki

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "summary definition" is a specialized term most frequently encountered in Scientific and Academic writing. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is used to categorize concise explanations that appear in summary sections of technical documents. While it is grammatically correct and highly authoritative, it remains a Rare phrase in general conversation, where people often prefer the more common "brief definition". When writing for a professional or academic audience, using this phrase helps maintain structural clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

brief definition

Offers a simpler and more common alternative for general audiences

short definition

Focuses purely on the physical length of the text

concise explanation

Shifts focus from the literal meaning (definition) to the act of explaining

abridged definition

Suggests a formal shortening of a longer, existing text

overview definition

Implies a broad look at a concept without entering specific details

synopsis definition

Uses a more academic term to describe a summary of meanings

baseline definition

Refers to a starting point or foundational understanding rather than just a summary

working definition

Specifies a definition that is useful for current practical purposes

summary of definitions

Used when referring to a collection of multiple meanings rather than one specific summary

capsule definition

A more journalistic or stylistic way to describe a highly condensed summary

FAQs

How to use "summary definition" in a sentence?

You can use it to introduce a condensed version of a concept, for example: "The author provides a "summary definition" at the end of each chapter to reinforce learning."

What can I say instead of "summary definition"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "brief definition", "short definition", or "concise explanation".

Is "summary definition" better than "brief definition"?

"Summary definition" is more precise in academic and scientific contexts where different types of definitions are categorized, whereas "brief definition" is better for general writing.

What is the difference between a summary definition and a glossary definition?

A "summary definition" typically appears within a summary section of a text or chapter, whereas a glossary definition is found in a specialized alphabetical list at the end of a publication.