Definition

OK, how about we look at a "real" definition or set of definitions. I've been researching the various meanings of the verb "to sustain" and I'll give you three definitions that appear to refer to the same "meaning." (This is only a sample of the ones that appear to be related to this meaning, and also I have identified at least a dozen other meanings of the word "sustain." For a larger list of definitions of "sustain" see my blog here.)

sustain, verb

1. to uphold
2. to be the physical support of
3. to keep something in position by holding it from below

One interesting thing that you may notice is that these "definitions" consist of synonyms or synonymous expressions, in this case a verb and two verb phrases. It appears from my research that definitions of verbs can only consist of synonyms or synonymous expressions.

We could present each definition in the form a sentence, as follows:

1. "To sustain" is "to uphold."
2. "To sustain" is "to be the physical support of."
3. "To sustain" is "to keep something in position by holding it from below."

Or even as more formal propositions as follows:

1. The meaning of the verb "to sustain" is "to uphold."
2. The meaning of the verb "to sustain" is "to be the physical support of."
3. The meaning of the verb "to sustain" is "to keep something in position by holding it from below."

Now you could interpret these as predications where the subject is "the meaning of the verb 'to sustain'," and the predicates are "is 'to uphold'," "is 'to be the physical support of'," or "is 'to keep something in position by holding it from below'."

But, how does that help in deciding which of the above propositions is the "correct definition" for this "meaning" of the word "sustain"? And since I have identified at least a dozen other "meanings" of the word "sustain," including two as a noun, what does this say about arriving at "the" definition of a word?

And the answer is, I don't know!

Any suggestions?

:flowers:

Yessir. So maybe there is something new beneath that old Sun of ours occasionally.

Let me ask you a sort of dumm question...Do you think the sun rises or the the world rotates??? Doesn't your mind sort of rebel at the idea of the obvious being untrue??? What does it mean if the whole world is under the sun and at once over it, having no relationship with it that could be called up or down...Unless we reference the earth itself because it is the center of our universe...

I think different descriptions are useful for different purposes.

So utilitarianism advance along the same path as people, that people pick up what works, and cast off that which does not...I am in the latter catagory...