Look up how your textbook defines a term, in its own words
A definition in a textbook is the precise wording the rest of the chapter depends on, and often the wording your exam expects. It may be in bold in the text, in a margin box or in the glossary, and later chapters can narrow it. Ask Search+ "How does this book define opportunity cost?" and the answer cites the passage, so you can read the definition and, when the PDF has page numbers, its page.
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Last updated October 2026
How to find a definition with Search+
- Upload the chapters and the glossary
Add the chapters and, if it is a separate file, the glossary or back matter. Glossary entries and in-chapter definitions sometimes differ in detail.
- Ask for the first and the formal definition
Ask where the term is first defined, then whether a later section gives a more formal version. Introductory chapters often simplify a term that is defined precisely later.
- Follow the terms inside the definition
Definitions often use other defined terms. Ask about each one in turn and open the citations so the chain of meanings is in front of you.
Questions to ask about definitions
What is the book's definition of a monopoly, word for word, and on which page is it?
Does the book give an informal description of a limit before the formal definition?
How does the text distinguish speed from velocity?
Is "work" used in a different sense in chapter 9 than in chapter 2?
What example does the book give right after defining a renewable resource?
What to look for in a textbook definition
Many textbooks set definitions in bold type, a highlighted box or the margin, and collect them again in a glossary or a key terms list at the end of the chapter.
A definition can include conditions that are easy to skip, such as "for all", "at constant temperature" or "in the short run". Read the cited text for those qualifiers.
Everyday words like "significant", "theory" or "work" have narrow meanings in a subject. The textbook's definition is the one that counts in the course.
Definitions in technical subjects often introduce a symbol. Ask what symbol the book uses so later formulas make sense.
Search+ finds passages by meaning, so asking what the book calls a concept you can only describe can surface the right term and its definition.
Each answer cites the passage it used, with the page when the textbook is paginated; AI answers can still be wrong, so read the definition itself.
Ways a textbook marks a definition
| What you may see | What it usually signals | A follow-up question |
|---|---|---|
| A term in bold | A new key term being defined | What is the full definition of the bolded term in section 2.1? |
| "is defined as" or "we call" | The formal definition | Is there a symbol introduced with this definition? |
| A boxed or numbered definition | A definition you will be expected to use exactly | Which later results rely on Definition 4.3? |
| A margin note | A short reminder of a term | Where is this term explained in full? |
| A glossary entry | A condensed version of the term | Does the glossary wording match the chapter's definition? |
What is a textbook definition?
A textbook definition is the precise statement a textbook gives of what a term means in its subject, usually at the point where the term is first introduced, and used consistently in the chapters that follow.
Questions about finding definitions
Can Search+ quote the textbook's definition exactly?
What if the book defines a term in two places?
Can it find a term I only half remember?
Will it use a definition from outside my textbook?
Does it work with a scanned textbook?
Is the answer always correct?
Learn the term the way the book states it
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