---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To define, is to select from among all…"
description: "\"“To define, is to select from among all the properties of a thing, those which shall be understood to be designated and declared by its name; and the p..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/965/john-stuart-mill-477_define_to-define-is-to-select-from-among-all-th_3100613.jpg"
---

#  To define, is to select from among all the properties of a…

![“To define, is to select from among all the properties of a thing, those which shall be understood to be designated and declared by its name; and the properties must be well known to us before we can be competent to determine which of them are fittest to be chosen for this purpose.” quote by John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/965/john-stuart-mill-477_define_to-define-is-to-select-from-among-all-th_3100613.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/965/john-stuart-mill-477_define_to-define-is-to-select-from-among-all-th_3100613.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/965/john-stuart-mill-477_define_to-define-is-to-select-from-among-all-th_3100613.jpg)

> ““To define, is to select from among all the properties of a thing, those which shall be understood to be designated and declared by its name; and the properties must be well known to us before we can be competent to determine which of them are fittest to be chosen for this purpose.””

[John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Defining a term means choosing its most relevant properties after fully understanding them.

**In simple terms:** Definition selects key traits.

Key Takeaway

Know a thing fully before naming it.

Themes

philosophy language logic

Mood

analytical thoughtful

Type

philosophical educational

When to use this quote

- academic writing
- legal drafting
- software naming

Key Concepts

semantic analysis conceptual clarity

Questions to Reflect On

- What criteria do you prioritize when naming?
- When is a broad definition more useful?

A Different Perspective

Over‑analysis can stall communication.

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> [Define yourself. Never give anyone any chance to define you by their definitions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/define-yourself-never-give-anyone-any-chance-to-define-you-by-their/)

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> [I think in some ways we have allowed other people to set the agenda. Other people to define who we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-scott/i-think-in-some-ways-we-have-allowed-other-people-to-set-the-agenda/)

[Lee Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-scott/)

> [To define the era we live in is very difficult. How do we define it? We define it by music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donatella-versace/to-define-the-era-we-live-in-is-very-difficult-how-do-we-define-it-we/)

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> [I think the word 'soul' - it depends on what you define by 'soul.' If you're defining it as a mystical aura that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-nicolelis/i-think-the-word-soul-it-depends-on-what-you-define-by-soul-if-you-re/)

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> [If I had to define my philosophy, it would be about exploration, a journey, a story-telling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-chalayan/if-i-had-to-define-my-philosophy-it-would-be-about-exploration-a/)

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[Todd Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-howard/)

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> [The average condition of the people improving or deteriorating, depends upon whether population is advancing faster than improvement, or improvement than population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-average-condition-of-the-people-improving-or-deteriorating/)

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Browse all 588 Define quotes

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