extensional
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An extensional definition of "planet" lists Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Definition
- Adjective:
- Relating to or characterized by extension: In logic and philosophy, "extensional" describes a way of defining a term by specifying the set of all objects to which the term applies. It contrasts with "intensional" definitions, which specify the meaning or essential properties of a term.
- Concerned with the actual objects in a set, not their descriptions or meanings: An extensional context is one where the truth value depends only on the objects referred to, not on the way they are described.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- An extensional definition of "planet" would list all the planets in our solar system.
- The statement "Mark Twain is Samuel Clemens" is true in an extensional context because both names refer to the same person.
- Set theory is fundamentally extensional; a set is defined by its members.
Advanced Usage
Extensionality (Axiom of): A principle in set theory stating that two sets are identical if and only if they have exactly the same members.
- The axiom of extensionality is a foundational concept in Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory.
Extensional Context: A context where substituting co-referential terms (terms that refer to the same thing) does not change the truth value of a statement.
- "Hesperus is Phosphorus" is true in an extensional context because both names refer to the planet Venus.
Variants and Related Words
Extension (n): The set of all things to which a term applies.
- The extension of the word "cat" includes all individual cats.
Extensionalism (n): The philosophical emphasis on extension over intension.
Extensionality (n): The quality or principle of being extensional.
Synonyms
- Denotative: Concerned with the direct reference or denotation of a term.
- Referential: Pertaining to the objects a term refers to.
Antonyms
- Intensional: Concerned with the meaning, sense, or connotation of a term, rather than its reference.
- An intensional definition of "bachelor" is "an unmarried man."
An extensional definition of "planet" lists Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Adjective
- defining a word by listing the class of entities to which the word correctly applies