Enumerative definition

An enumerative definition ^[1] of a concept or term is a special type of extensional definition that gives an explicit and exhaustive listing of all the objects that fall under the concept or term in question. Enumerative definitions are only possible for finite sets and only practical for relatively small sets.

Example

An example of an enumerative definition for the set

extant monotreme species

(for which the intensional definition is "species of currently-living mammals that lay eggs") would be:

platypuses

echidnae:

short-beaked echidna

long-beaked echidnae:

Sir David's long-beaked echidna

eastern long-beaked echidna

western long-beaked echidna

See also

• Definition
• Extension
• Extensional definition
• Set notation
• Enumeration

References

1. "Enumerative-definition Definition & Meaning | YourDictionary". yourdictionary.com. LoveToKnow Media. Retrieved 5 November 2025.