How do I find definitions of terms?

Basic definitions of words are found in dictionaries, while scholarly definitions typically come from scholarly journal articles or books.

Basic Definitions

You can use the dictionaries found in the Walden Library for the definitions of most words:

• Webster's New World Medical Dictionary
• The AMA Dictionary of Business and Management
• Dictionary of Social Work

More specialized dictionaries can be found using the Walden Library's Dictionaries page.

Scholarly Definitions

You will need to locate scholarly definitions within the literature of your field. Scholarly definitions are typically required for dissertations and other doctoral capstone work. 

Scholars may disagree about the exact meaning of a term, or how it should be used and applied. You will typically see a discussion of terms in the introduction or literature review section of scholarly articles.

How do I find scholarly definitions?

More Information:

• How do I cite a dictionary?

• Can I use Wikipedia?
   

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