definition may be guided by the following
maxims:

(1) Find the usage of good modern authors; that is (as they rarely
define a word explicitly), consider what in various relations they use
it to denote; from which uses its connotation may be collected.

(2) But if this process yield no satisfactory result, make a list of the
things denoted, and of those denoted by the co-ordinate and opposite
words; and observe the qualities in which the things denoted agree, and
in which they differ from those denoted by the contraries and opposites.
If 'civilisation' is to be defined, make lists of civilised peoples, of
semi-civilised, of barbarous, and of savage: now, what things are common
to civilised peoples and wanting in the others respectively? This is an
exercise worth attempting. If poetry is to be defined, survey some
typical examples of what good critics recognise as poetry, and compare
them with examples of bad 'poetry,' literary prose, oratory, and
science. Having determined the characteristics of each kind, arrange
them opposite one another in parallel columns. Whoever tries to define
by this method a few important, frequently occurring words, will find
his thoughts the clearer for it, and will collect by the way much
information which may be more valuable than the definition itself,
should he ever find one.

(3) If the genus of a word to be defined is already known, the process
may be shortened. Suppose the genus of poetry to be _belles lettres_
(that is, 'appealing to good taste'), this suffices to mark it off from
science; but since literary prose and oratory are also _belles lettres_,
we must still seek the differentia of poetry by a comparison of it with
these co-ordinate species. A compound word often exhibits genus and
difference upon its face: as 're-turn,' 'inter-penetrate,'
'tuning-fork,' 'cricket-bat'; but the two last would hardly be
understood without inspection or further description. And however a
definition be discovered, it is well to state it _per genus et
differentiam_.

(4) In defining any term we should avoid encroaching upon the meaning of
any of the co-ordinate terms; for else their usefulness is lessened: as
by making 'law' include 'custom,' or 'wealth' include 'labour' or
'culture.'

(5) If two or more terms happen to be exactly synonymous, it may be
possible (and, if so, it is a service to the language) to divert one of
them to any neighbouring meaning that has no determinate expression.