--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is a good definition? For the…" description: "\"What is a good definition? For the philosopher or the scientist, it is a definition which applies to all the objects to be defined, and applies only to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef7/henri-poincare-3339_defined_what-is-a-good-definition-for-the-philos_1237286.jpg" --- # What is a good definition? For the philosopher or the… ![“What is a good definition? For the philosopher or the scientist, it is a definition which applies to all the objects to be defined, and applies only to them; it is that which satisfies the rules of logic. But in education it is not that; it is one that can be understood by the pupils.” quote by Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef7/henri-poincare-3339_defined_what-is-a-good-definition-for-the-philos_1237286.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef7/henri-poincare-3339_defined_what-is-a-good-definition-for-the-philos_1237286.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef7/henri-poincare-3339_defined_what-is-a-good-definition-for-the-philos_1237286.jpg) > “What is a good definition? For the philosopher or the scientist, it is a definition which applies to all the objects to be defined, and applies only to them; it is that which satisfies the rules of logic. But in education it is not that; it is one that can be understood by the pupils.” [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A definition must be universally applicable and logically consistent, yet in teaching it must also be understandable to learners. **In simple terms:** Definitions need logical rigor and pedagogical clarity. Key Takeaway Craft definitions that are both precise and accessible. Themes education logic communication pedagogy Mood analytical inquisitive Type instructional philosophical When to use this quote - teaching - curriculum design - scientific writing - philosophy of science Key Concepts definition theory epistemology learning theory Questions to Reflect On - How can you simplify without losing meaning? - When is precision more important than clarity? A Different Perspective Complex concepts may resist simple explanations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logic/) [Philosopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosopher/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Scientist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientist/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) ## Related quotes > [My definition (of a philosopher) is of a man up in a balloon, with his family and friends holding the ropes which confine him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/my-definition-of-a-philosopher-is-of-a-man-up-in-a-balloon-with-his/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [The basic ability to not wipe oneself out, to endure, to use your technological interaction with the world in such a way that has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-grinspoon/the-basic-ability-to-not-wipe-oneself-out-to-endure-to-use-your/) [David Grinspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-grinspoon/) > [“A good definition of lawfare is the abuse of international law and legal processes to accomplish military objectives that can’t be accomplished on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-sekulow/a-good-definition-of-lawfare-is-the-abuse-of-international-law-and/) [Jay Sekulow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-sekulow/) > [“Even the objects in a room are not, in some sense, the same objects to another animal. 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It has adopted the geometry most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/by-natural-selection-our-mind-has-adapted-itself-to-the-conditions-of/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [If we knew exactly the laws of nature and the situation of the universe at the initial moment, we could predict exactly the situation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/if-we-knew-exactly-the-laws-of-nature-and-the-situation-of-the/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [Absolute space, that is to say, the mark to which it would be necessary to refer the earth to know whether it really moves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/absolute-space-that-is-to-say-the-mark-to-which-it-would-be-necessary/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [Science is facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/science-is-facts/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [Absolute space, that is to say, the mark to which it would be necessary to refer the earth to know whether it really moves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/absolute-space-that-is-to-say-the-mark-to-which-it-would-be-necessary-2/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [All of mathematics is a tale about groups.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/all-of-mathematics-is-a-tale-about-groups/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [A cat is witty, he has nerve, he knows how to do precisely the right thing at the right moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/a-cat-is-witty-he-has-nerve-he-knows-how-to-do-precisely-the-right/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [In the old days when people invented a new function they had something useful in mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/in-the-old-days-when-people-invented-a-new-function-they-had/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [Intuition is more important to discovery than logic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/intuition-is-more-important-to-discovery-than-logic/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [Mathematics has a threefold purpose. 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