definition essay hawaii

The Annexation of Hawaii

• Commercial Republic
• Foreign Policy
• December 31, 1897
• December 31, 1898
• Jackson's Second Annual Message
• Indian Removal
• Worcester v. Georgia
• Letter to John Breckinridge
• Speech on the Constitutionality of the Louisiana Purchase

Introduction

The United States had been interested in Hawaii for most of the nineteenth century because of the islands’ location between North America and Asia. Travelling from the Atlantic coast of the United States around the tip of South America, the first American merchant ship reached China in 1784. The first American whaling ship entered the Pacific in 1791. Other merchantmen and whalers followed. By the 1840s, the Hawaiian Islands, approximately 2,400 miles from the coast of California, were a major whaling station. American missionaries had begun arriving in numbers in Hawaii in the 1820s. The admission of California as a state (1850), the purchase of Alaska (1867), and the completion of the transcontinental railroad (1869) further turned American minds to the Pacific and its commercial and geopolitical possibilities. During the Civil War, Confederate raiding ships had attacked the American whaling fleet around Hawaii, showing the vulnerability of America’s Pacific shipping, while the replacement of sugar from the South with that produced in Hawaii had highlighted the islands’ commercial potential.

A land reform implemented in the mid-nineteenth century by King Kamehameha III (1814–1854) to modernize Hawaii eventually allowed the descendants of missionaries and foreigners to own land on the islands. The increased value of Hawaii’s sugar production led many individuals and a few corporations to take advantage of this opportunity. Those involved in the sugar business pressed the American government for trade advantages, which were granted in the so-called Reciprocity Treaty (1875), which bound together the American and Hawaiian economies, made Hawaiian sugar production even more valuable, and when renewed (1887), gave the United States rights to a naval base at Pearl Harbor.

At the time the Reciprocity Treaty was renewed, its supporters also acted to change the governance of Hawaii. Dissatisfied with the way that King Kalakaua (1836–1891) was running the kingdom of Hawaii, Americans with interests in the islands compelled him to accept a new constitution that removed most of his power. After his death in 1891, King Kalakaua was succeeded by his sister, Queen Lili’uokalani (1838–1917), who with the support of native Hawaiians attempted to restore power to Hawaii’s native population. Business interests and others who favored American annexation of Hawaii, supported by the U.S. minister to Hawaii (acting without orders from Washington) and a contingent of Marines from a visiting U.S. warship, forced the queen to step down January 17, 1893. The U.S. minister, again without orders from Washington, proclaimed Hawaii a U.S. protectorate; those who had deposed the queen declared themselves a provisional government; and the minister, still acting without orders, recognized the new government on behalf of the United States.

President Benjamin Harrison (1889–1893) signed a treaty of annexation with the provisional government, but Grover Cleveland (1837–1908), who succeeded him, withdrew it from the Senate before it was ratified. Cleveland authorized an investigation of the forced abdication of Queen Lili’uokalani. The investigation concluded that the U.S. minister and those he supported had acted improperly, and Cleveland ordered the queen restored to power. The provisional government rejected the order and declared itself a republic. The United States recognized the new republic shortly afterward. American public opinion supported annexation. When another investigation presented to the U.S. Senate cast events in Hawaii in a better light, Cleveland implicitly accepted what had happened there. William McKinley (1843–1901) succeeded Cleveland in 1897, and in June of that year signed a treaty of annexation with the Republic of Hawaii. Protests in Hawaii and the United States over the circumstances of annexation led to defeat of the treaty in the Senate in February 1898. But the patriotic enthusiasm generated by the Spanish-American War (April–August 1898), which involved a major naval action in the Pacific that demonstrated the islands’ potential strategic importance, created a political opening for McKinley. Still lacking the votes for a treaty, he sought to annex Hawaii by joint resolution, which passed Congress and was signed into law on July 7, 1898.

Hawaiian natives were not passive in the face of this long train of events. They resisted politically, and at one point attempted to resist violently. Ultimately, they had to rely on a moral appeal to serve their cause. One example of such an appeal on moral grounds, the Memorial to the President, the Congress, and the People of the United States of America of October 1897, appears below. In it, the memorialists cite and quote the Declaration of Independence to support their rights. Not all Americans were deaf to such appeals, as the article from The Advocate of Peace, a publication of the American Peace Society, also reproduced below, makes clear. As the article points out, McKinley’s joint resolution was similar to the one John Tyler had used to overcome opposition to the annexation of Texas . McKinley summarized his reasoning for supporting annexation in his First Annual Message, the second item reproduced below.

Sources: “Memorial to the President, the Congress and the People of the United States of America,” City and State 4, no. 9 (December, 2, 1897): 143; William McKinley, First Annual Message, December 6, 1897, available at https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/first-annual-message-15 ; “The Annexation of Hawaii,” Advocate of Peace 60, no. 1 (January 1898): 8–10, available at https://archive.org/details/advocateofpeace85amerrich/page/2 .

Citizens’ committee, “memorial to the president, the congress, and the people of the united states of america” (october 1897).

This memorial respectfully represents as follows:

1. That your memorialists are residents of the Hawaiian Islands; that the majority of them are aboriginal Hawaiians; and that all of them possess the qualifications provided for electors of representatives in the Hawaiian Legislature by the Constitution and laws prevailing in the Hawaiian Islands at the date of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Constitutional Government January 17, 1893.

2. That the supporters of the Hawaiian Constitution of 1887 have been, thence to the present time, in the year 1897, held in subjection by the armed forces of the Provisional Government of the Hawaiian Islands, and of its successor, the Republic of Hawaii; and have never yielded, and do not acknowledge a spontaneous or willing allegiance or support to said Provisional Government, or to said Republic of Hawaii.

3. That the government of the Republic of Hawaii has no warrant for its existence in the support of the people of these islands; that it was proclaimed and instituted and has hitherto existed and now exists, without considering the rights and wishes of a great majority of the residents, native and foreign born, of the Hawaiian Islands; and especially that said government exists and maintains itself solely by force of arms, against the rights and wishes of almost the entire aboriginal population of these islands.

4. That said republic is not and never has been founded or conducted upon a basis of popular government or republican principles; that its constitution was adopted by a convention, a majority of whose members were self-appointed, and the balance of whose members were elected by a numerically insignificant minority of the white and aboriginal male citizens and residents of these islands; that a majority of the persons so voting for delegates to such constitutional convention was composed of aliens, and that a majority of said aliens so voting were of then very recent residence, without financial interests or social ties in these islands.

5. That the constitution so adopted by said convention has never been submitted to a vote of the people of these islands; but was promulgated and established over the said islands, and has ever since been maintained, only by force of arms, and with indifference to the will of practically the entire aboriginal population, and a vast majority of the whole population of these islands.

6. That the said government, so existing under the title of the Republic of Hawaii, assumes and asserts the right to extinguish the Hawaiian nationality, heretofore existing, and to cede and convey all rights of sovereignty in and over the Hawaiian Islands and their dependencies to a foreign power, namely, to the United States of America.

7. That your memorialists have learned with grief and dismay that the president of the United States has entered into, and submitted for ratification by the United States Senate; a treaty with the government of the Republic of Hawaii, whereby it is proposed to extinguish our existence as a nation, and to annex our territory to the United States.

8. That the Hawaiian people, during more than half a century prior to the events hereinabove recited, had been accustomed to participate in the constitutional forms of government, in the election of legislatures, in the administration of justice through regularly constituted magistrates, courts, and juries, and in the representative administration of public affairs, in which the principle of government by majorities has been acknowledged and firmly established. [1]

9. That your memorialists humbly but fervently protest against the consummation of this invasion of their political rights; and they earnestly appeal to the president, the Congress, and the people of the United States, to refrain from further participating in the wrong so proposed; and they invoke in support of this memorial the spirit of that immortal instrument, the Declaration of American Independence; and especially the truth therein expressed, that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, and here repeat, that the consent of the people of the Hawaiian Islands to the forms of government imposed by the so-called Republic of Hawaii, and to said proposed treaty of annexation, has never been asked by and is not accorded, either to said government or to said project of annexation.

10. That the consummation of the project of annexation dealt with in said treaty would be subversive of the personal and political rights of these memorialists, and, of the Hawaiian people and nation, and would be a negation of the rights and principles proclaimed in the Declaration of American Independence, in the Constitution of the United States, and in the schemes of government of all other civilized and representative governments.

11. Wherefore your memorialists respectfully submit that they, no less than the citizens of any American commonwealth, are entitled to select, ordain and establish for themselves, such forms of government as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness; and that questions of such moment to the Hawaiian people as are proposed to be settled by said treaty, are questions upon which said people have the right, in the forum of conscience, to be heard; and that said Hawaiian people have thus far been denied the privilege of being heard upon said questions.

12. And your memorialists humbly pray the president, Congress, and the people of the United States, that no further steps be taken toward the ratification of said treaty, or toward the extinguishment of the Hawaiian nationality, or toward the absorption of the Hawaiian people and territory into the body politic and territory of the United States of America, at least until the Hawaiian people, as represented by those citizens and residents of the Hawaiian Islands who, under the provisions of the Hawaiian constitution, promulgated July 7, 1887, would be qualified to vote for representatives in the legislature, shall have had the opportunity to express at the ballot box, their wishes as to whether such project of Annexation shall be accepted or rejected.

13. And your memorialists, for themselves, and in behalf of the Hawaiian people, and of the residents of the Hawaiian Islands, pledge the faith that if these shall be accorded the privilege of voting upon said questions, at a free and fair election to be held for that purpose; and if a fair count of the votes that shall be cast at such election shall show a majority in favor of such annexation, these memorialists and the Hawaiian people will yield a ready and cheerful acquiescence in said project.

Signatures: 1. J. Kalua Kahookano 2. Samuel K. Pua 3. F. J. Testa 4. C. B. Maile 5. Samuel K. Kamakaia, Komite o ka Lehulehu (Citizens’ Committee) 6. James Keauiluna Kaulia, Peresidena o ka Ahahui Hawaii Aloha Aina 7. David Kalauokalani, Peresidena o ka Hui Kalaiaina Hawaii

William McKinley, First Annual Message, December 6, 1897

. . . By a special message dated the 16th day of June last, I laid before the Senate a treaty signed that day by the plenipotentiaries of the United States and of the Republic of Hawaii, having for its purpose the incorporation of the Hawaiian Islands as an integral part of the United States and under its sovereignty. The Senate having removed the injunction of secrecy, although the treaty is still pending before that body, the subject may be properly referred to in this message because the necessary action of the Congress is required to determine by legislation many details of the eventual union should the fact of annexation be accomplished, as I believe it should be.

While consistently disavowing from a very early period any aggressive policy of absorption in regard to the Hawaiian group, a long series of declarations through three-quarters of a century has proclaimed the vital interest of the United States in the independent life of the islands and their intimate commercial dependence upon this country. [2] At the same time it has been repeatedly asserted that in no event could the entity of Hawaiian statehood cease by the passage of the islands under the domination or influence of another power than the United States. Under these circumstances, the logic of events required that annexation, heretofore offered but declined, should in the ripeness of time come about as the natural result of the strengthening ties that bind us to those islands, and be realized by the free will of the Hawaiian state.

That treaty was unanimously ratified without amendment by the Senate and president of the Republic of Hawaii on the 10th of September last, and only awaits the favorable action of the American Senate to effect the complete absorption of the islands into the domain of the United States. What the conditions of such a union shall be, the political relation thereof to the United States, the character of the local administration, the quality and degree of the elective franchise of the inhabitants, the extension of the federal laws to the territory or the enactment of special laws to fit the peculiar condition thereof, the regulation if need be of the labor system therein, are all matters which the treaty has wisely relegated to the Congress.

If the treaty is confirmed as every consideration of dignity and honor requires, the wisdom of Congress will see to it that, avoiding abrupt assimilation of elements perhaps hardly yet fitted to share in the highest franchises of citizenship, and having due regard to the geographical conditions, the most just provisions for self-rule in local matters with the largest political liberties as an integral part of our nation will be accorded to the Hawaiians. No less is due to a people who, after nearly five years of demonstrated capacity to fulfill the obligations of self-governing statehood, come of their free will to merge their destinies in our body politic.

The questions which have arisen between Japan and Hawaii by reason of the treatment of Japanese laborers emigrating to the islands under the Hawaiian-Japanese convention of 1888, are in a satisfactory stage of settlement by negotiation. [3] This government has not been invited to mediate, and on the other hand has sought no intervention in that matter, further than to evince its kindliest disposition toward such a speedy and direct adjustment by the two sovereign states in interest as shall comport with equity and honor. It is gratifying to learn that the apprehensions at first displayed on the part of Japan lest the cessation of Hawaii’s national life through annexation might impair privileges to which Japan honorably laid claim, have given place to confidence in the uprightness of this government, and in the sincerity of its purpose to deal with all possible ulterior questions in the broadest spirit of friendliness. . .

“The Annexation of Hawaii,” The Advocate of Peace, January 1898

Before Congress met last month it was considered certain that the treaty for the annexation of Hawaii would go through the Senate with flying colors, possibly within a week after that body reassembled. But when the Senate came together it was soon discovered that the treaty could not certainly muster in its favor a two-thirds majority of the senators. Later a canvass showed that thirty-nine senators were opposed to annexation. When Mr. Hoar presented to the Senate the petition of the native Hawaiians, signed by two-thirds of the whole number of pure natives, protesting against annexation, the effect both on the Senate and the country was such as to make it practically certain that the treaty will never come to a vote. [4]

The only way left, therefore, by which the advocates of annexation can hope to accomplish their purpose is through a joint resolution, as in the case of Texas. [5] It is considered doubtful if even in this way the project can be gotten through the Senate. There is known to be much opposition to annexation in the House. In any event, the scheme cannot now be railroaded through. Debate on it is, we think, sure to increase opposition, rather than diminish it, in both houses, and debate is certain to arise when the subject comes up. Opinion throughout the country seems not very materially to have changed, though doubt of the desirability of annexation is certainly stronger today than it has been since President Harrison presented the first annexation treaty. [6] The sentimental clamor for annexation is evidently waning. As this is probably the last opportunity we shall have of discussing the subject before it is finally disposed of, we deem it proper to rehearse the reasons to given pro and con and to restate our position.

The arguments in favor of annexation, so far as we have seen them, are these:

Hawaii has asked to be annexed to this country; we ought not to refuse to incorporate with us a people which desires to become one with us.

It is the duty of the United States to extend its free institutions to other quarters of the globe wherever possible.

The colony of Americans in Hawaii, now the rulers of the country, deserve our support in their efforts to preserve and promote American civilization, which they and their ancestors have planted there. They cannot long maintain it in present circumstances without annexation.

The Sandwich Islands [7] are of great value to us commercially, and this value would be much heightened by annexation.

We need the control of Hawaii in order to keep our commerce free and unrestricted in all quarters of the Pacific.

We need the islands for a coaling station and a center of naval defense against attacks on our Pacific coast. [8]

If we do not annex Hawaii, Japan or Great Britain or some other nation will. The present government can continue to maintain its independence.

Japan is becoming a great sea power, is in danger of controlling the Pacific, and may sometime make a descent [9] upon us. We must be forearmed against her by taking Hawaii.

The “logic” of our historical relations to Hawaii demands annexation. Very much the same as this is the “manifest destiny” [10] argument.

These arguments have been variously expanded and hammered in with all sorts of high-sounding, pious, “patriotic” and scarecrow phrases. We know of no reason that has been given in favor of annexation which cannot be reduced to one of these, unless we consider as a different argument the statement that it is the duty of America (the United States) to “expand” and “take” anywhere and everywhere “what we need (want).”

The counter contentions may be briefly stated as follows:

Only a small portion of the population of the islands, less than 4,000 out of a total of 109,000, have expressed their wish to be annexed to this government. The native Hawaiians, more than two-thirds of them in written memorial, protest against annexation. It is contrary to all the principles of our national life to force the great majority of the population into union with us without giving them a chance to declare their wish.

The present government of the islands is an oligarchy, though in republican form, [11] which came into existence in a revolutionary way with the naval aid of the United States. [12] To annex the islands in the interests of the commercial oligarchy, without consulting the rest of the population, would be adding wrong to wrong.

It is not the duty of the United States to extend its free institutions by methods which trample underfoot the very principles on which our civilization was built.

Commercially, annexation would be of advantage to the sugar planters of Hawaii, by removing all tariffs at our ports. It would be of no appreciable advantage to this country, which is naturally and always will be the chief foreign market for Hawaiian productions.

As to the freedom of our commerce in all parts of the Pacific, there will not be the least trouble if we behave ourselves and show ourselves reasonable, just and fair towards others.

There is no evidence that Great Britain or Japan or any other nation is secretly planning or intending to annex the islands if we do not.

The idea that Japan has any purpose to attack us on our western coast is pure, even ridiculous fancy.

The possession of Hawaii by some other nation would not in the least endanger us. If such were the fact, the greatness of our territory, the size of our population, the inexhaustibleness of our resources, render us practically invulnerable, certainly impregnable.

We are and shall be even more capable of dictating the independence of Hawaii than we have been in the past. Our simple word is all that is needed.

Our historic relations to these Pacific islands point logically to independence and not to annexation. As to “manifest destiny,” that is a dark word of political sorcery that may have any meaning which an aggressive “expansionist” wishes to give to it.

The mixed population of the islands, with its various un-American characteristics, is at the present time entirely unsuited to the United States citizenship. Annexation would occasion difficult and vexatious problems of government, especially since we have no system of colonial administration.

Annexation would be the inauguration of a policy which would weaken our continental security. It would require a large increase in our Navy. Hawaii would have to be fortified and strongly garrisoned. In case of war, instead of being a defense, it would be the weak point of attack. We should therefore be embarked on a system of naval extension, which would not only be overwhelmingly expensive but would inevitably lead to entangling relations with the great naval powers. It would be the gateway for the final and full introduction of the system of European militarism, of which we are in no small danger already. The whole system of American civil and religious liberty would thus be imperiled before an all-devouring militarism, against which, until recently, our nation has already stood.

Some of these arguments against annexation are of no great force, when taken alone, and can be answered with tolerable satisfaction by those who favor taking Hawaii in; yet the united force of the several different contentions, especially the two or three last given, makes the case against annexation so strong as to be practically irrefutable. We very much hope this view may prevail in Congress, in whatever form the subject may be brought forward after the holidays. We do not say that the time will never come when it may be right and expedient to make this group of islands a part of our domain. But at the present time it seems to us clear that it is neither right nor expedient, but unwise and dangerous from the standpoint both of our private national interests and our great duty to try to bring the world to a higher standard of righteous and peaceful living.

• 1. The Hawaiian monarchy became a constitutional monarchy in 1840.
• 2. The United States first recognized Hawaiian independence by treaty in 1826.
• 3. Japanese workers brought to Hawaii to work on sugar plantations had become a significant portion of the Hawaiian population. This led the government of Japan to take greater interest in the islands, and Hawaiian residents of American descent to take a greater interest in annexation.
• 4. George Frisbie Hoar (1826–1904) was a leading Republican politician and senator from Massachusetts (1877–1904). He supported the rights of Native Americans, African Americans, and women, including the right of women to vote. An opponent of imperialism, Hoar presented the Kūʻē petitions from Hawaiian natives to the Senate.
• 5. See Letter to the Editors of the National Intelligencer Opposing the Annexation of Texas
• 6. In 1893.
• 7. Another name for the Hawaiian Islands.
• 8. As noted in the introduction, the Spanish-American War heightened awareness of the military and geopolitical importance of Hawaii and increased support for annexation.
• 9. An attack or invasion.
• 10. A term used to indicate the belief that it was both inevitable and desirable that American power expand. Invention of the term is sometimes credited to journalist John O’Sullivan (Annexation).
• 11. By oligarchy, the author means that the island was actually governed by a small group of wealthy men, even though its constitution was formally republican—that is, based on popular rule.
• 12. The Marines who went ashore during the effort to remove Queen Lili’uokalani from power

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Hawai'i's Annexation and Statehood: How the Island Nation Became an American Frontier

Signed photograph of Queen Liliuokalani, circa 1891. 

Wikimedia Commons

From the initial formation of the unified kingdom of Hawai'i under a single sovereign  in 1795 to its admission as the 50th state of the U.S. in 1959, Hawaiians have adapted to shifting political, economic, and social realities, changes that occurred in response to a number of major global events. This lesson plan uses primary sources to illustrate how people in positions of power as well as the average citizens of Hawai'i and the mainland shaped and responded to their circumstances. Students will explore events surrounding annexation and eventual statehood of Hawai'i as well as the lasting impacts and legacies of these events.  

Guiding Questions

What were the experiences of native Hawaiian people who were resistant to the United States' imperial ambitions in the Pacific? 

What can primary documents tell us about the people living through Hawaiian annexation and statehood?  

Who were the people involved in the fight over annexation in Hawai'i?

How does the issue of Hawaiian independence affect the United States today? 

Learning Objectives

Use primary sources, including text and images to investigate and explain the causes and effects of Hawaiian annexation and statehood. 

Identify how both the leading voices and the public felt about Hawai'i's place within the United States. 

Compare Hawai'i's journey to statehood to that of other territories in the United States such as Washington, DC and Puerto Rico.

Recognize the lasting impact of Hawai'i's annexation and admission into the Union.

Lesson Plan Details

A brief note on the spelling of Hawai'i: Although the official name recorded on the 1959 Statehood Act   identifies the name of the state as "Hawaii," we have elected to use include the 'okina, the mark that resembles an apostrophe between the i's in Hawai'i, for consistency. The word Hawaiian does not have an 'okina. More information about the written Hawaiian language can be found here .

The Hawaiian Kingdom

The Hawaiian Kingdom was initially founded in 1795 when Kamehameha The Great of Hawai'i conquered and unified the islands of O'ahu, Maui, Moloka'i and Lana'i under his government. By 1810, the entire archipelago had been brought under the control of the Kamehameha Dynasty. At the same time, the island nation was gaining more and more international interest. British explorer James Cook was the first westerner to encounter the Polynesian islanders  on January 18, 1778, and American and European traders quickly followed.   

Great Britain, the United States, Japan, and other globalizing nations began to take an interest in Hawai'i's natural exports, especially sugar . The islands' location in the mid-Pacific was also strategically valuable for traders and navies as a resupply port. White Christian missionaries from the United States came to the islands seeking to convert the native populations, and in 1848 a land distribution act allowed non-Hawaiians to purchase land in the nation for the first time. In the 1850's laborers from Asia were brought in to work on the sugar plantations as the Indigenous population drastically decreased due to exposure to diseases like smallpox, which Hawaiians had never encountered and had no natural resistance to. Wealthy Americans began investing in sugar in earnest after Hawai'i signed a Reciprocity Treaty with the United States in 1875, which allowed the import of sugar without a tariff for the first time.   

White Americans living on the islands became increasingly influential in the government of Hawai'i, with many serving as advisors to the monarchy and representatives in the legislature. The Reform Party, also known as the Missionary Party because many of them were descended from American missionaries, was an active political group that advocated for annexation by the United States. Although many of the members of the Reform Party were Hawaiian citizens, they resented the strict controls around foreigners purchasing land and the general power held by the Hawaiian crown. This movement petitioned the United States to annex Hawai'i several times beginning in the 1850's, but evolving interests in both the United States and Hawai'i had prevented any plans from coming to fruition.   

The Bayonet Constitution and Revolution

In 1887, two years after the new king David Kalākaua had signed the Reciprocity Treaty, a small but influential number of reform party members, supported by Hawaiian Minister of the Interior Lorrin Thurston and the Hawaiian militia coerced King Kalākaua to dismiss his cabinet and promulgate a new constitution on threat of assassination. The new constitution they forced the king to sign came to be known as the Bayonet Constitution, and was responsible for putting a great deal of power in the hands of the planter class at the expense of both native Hawaiians and immigrants from Asia.   

Following the Rebellion of 1887, King Kalākaua faced increasing criticism from all sides and other attempted rebellions. Many native Hawaiians believed he should abdicate in favor of his sister Princess Liliuokalani, and in 1889 a group of Hawaiians led by Robert Wilcox attempted to oust the king and install Liliuokalani on the throne. Although this rebellion was not successful, it likely caused concern among the members of the Missionary Party, who had previously offered the Princess the throne in the hopes that she would be even more amenable to their goals.   

Four years later, in 1891, King Kalākaua passed away and his sister ascended to the throne. One of her chief aims as monarch was to revoke the constitution of 1887 and reclaim the power that her brother had been forced to sign away, thus solidifying Hawaiian sovereignty. In 1893, she proposed a new constitution that would restore the monarchy to its pre-1887 status, but members of the reform party moved decisively to block this slide towards self-determination. The popular support the queen received and her plan to abrogate the Bayonet Constitution were certainly alarming, but the passage of the McKinley Act , which revoked Hawai'i's status as a tariff free trade partner with the United States, likely also motivated the party's response. On January 17, 1893, thirteen members of the Missionary Party who had organized themselves into a Committee of Safety ousted Queen Liliuokalani in a bloodless coup, with the support of the American Diplomat John L. Stevens. Stevens sent U.S. Marines into Honolulu to help keep the peace, and Liliuokalani surrendered power conditionally, demanding that the United States be given the authority to determine who was the rightful sovereign of Hawai'i.   

The Committee of Safety and other members of the Missionary Party quickly organized themselves into the provisional government of the Republic of Hawai'i. Their intention was to quickly have the republic annexed by the United States, but these plans were repeatedly derailed. Queen Liliuokalani petitioned the U.S. government to investigate the insurrection, and in response  James H. Blount was commissioned to look into the matter. The result of his exhaustive investigation found that Liliuokalani had been removed from power against the wishes of the majority of Hawaiians, and that Minister Stevens had involved American troops under false pretenses. A petition assembled by the native-led Women's Hawaiian Patriotic League in 1897 was sent to speak before Congress along with a delegation who asked that the United States help restore the monarchy and support Hawai'i's right to true self determination.  President Cleveland was sympathetic to the royalist arguments, and pushed for the United States to return control of Hawai'i back to Liliuokalani. The matter was sent to Congress for debate where it remained gridlocked for several years. Compounding these issues was the fact that the Republic of Hawai'i's president, Sanford Dole, refused to consider relinquishing power to anyone but the United States.   

Annexation and Statehood

Annexation could not be prevented forever. In 1898 William McKinley succeeded Cleveland as president, and brought a renewed executive focus on Hawai'i into the White House. As the Spanish American War began, President McKinley and others around the country saw Hawai'i as a necessary base from which the United States could project its power into the Pacific, specifically against Spanish colonial holdings in the Philippines. In August of 1898, President McKinley agreed to Sanford Dole's request for annexation, and Hawai'i was officially incorporated as a territory of the United States with the passage of the Newlands Resolution.     

Almost immediately after annexation, the people of Hawai'i began working towards attaining statehood . The first official petition for statehood was filed on August 15th, 1903 - just five years after annexation. This petition was denied, along with several other requests over the next five decades. During this time, Hawai'i's governors and judges were all federally appointed, and the territory's one congressional delegate was a non-voting representative. This lack of local self-determination helped wealthy white plantation owners remain in power. This planter class used their influence to import cheap labor to work on plantations as well as to keep export tariffs as low as possible. In Congress, many influential leaders worried about how the balance of power might be swayed if a new state were added to the union, since that state would add two senators and a number of representatives to their respective bodies. Because Hawai'i was tightly controlled by the Republican party, many democrats worked to block its admission to the union.  In addition to the political question, there were several steps Hawai'i had to go through before they could be granted full statehood. Finally, racial tensions kept many Americans from supporting full statehood for the island territory. Asian immigrants and their children made up a large portion of the Hawaiian population, and even before World War II anti-Asian sentiment led many to believe that if the population of Hawai'i were allowed to self-determine, they would betray American values and principles.   

Finally, in 1937, a congressional committee found that Hawai'i had satisfied all of the qualifications necessary to become a state. Before any real action could be taken, however, the attack on Pearl Harbor temporarily halted all talks. After the conclusion of World War II, efforts were redoubled by both Hawaiian and white citizens of the territory. Statehood meant an end to taxation without representation, popularly elected state officials, and the guaranteed protection of rights that other U.S. citizens enjoyed. Many mainland politicians also recognized the strategic value of having an American presence in the Pacific and began to agitate for statehood as a result. In 1959, Congress passed a bill admitting Hawai'i as the 50th state. The bill was signed into law by President Eisenhower, and a citizen's referendum held in June confirmed that the people living in the territory accepted. Almost 60 years after annexation, Hawai'i was finally one of the United States.   

Grades 6-8 Standards

NCSS.D2.His.2.6-8. Classify series of historical events and developments as examples of change and/or continuity. 

NCSS.D2.His.3.6-8. Use questions generated about individuals and groups to analyze why they, and the developments they shaped, are seen as historically significant. 

D2.His.6.6-8. Analyze how people’s perspectives influenced what information is available in the historical sources they created. 

D2.Civ.3.6-8. Examine the origins, purposes, and impact of constitutions, laws, treaties, and international agreements. 

D2.Civ.10.6-8. Explain the relevance of personal interests and perspectives, civic virtues, and democratic  principles when people address issues and problems in government and civil society 

D2.Civ.14.6-8. Compare historical and contemporary means of changing societies, and promoting the common good 

Grades 9-12 Standards

D2.His.1.9-12. Evaluate how historical events and developments were shaped by unique circumstances of time and place as well as broader historical contexts. 

D2.His.8.9-12. Analyze how current interpretations of the past are limited by the extent to which available historical sources represent perspectives of people at the time. 

D2.His.14.9-12. Analyze multiple and complex causes and effects of events in the past. 

D2.Civ.3.9-12. Analyze the impact of constitutions, laws, treaties, and international agreements on the  maintenance of national and international order. 

D2.Civ.10.9-12. Analyze the impact and the appropriate roles of personal interests and perspectives on the application of civic virtues, democratic principles, constitutional rights, and human rights. 

This lesson plan introduces students to the major events and themes that have defined the United States' relationship with Hawaii from the mid-1800's to today. Students will benefit from having a firm understanding of Hawaii's geographic location. This project on Google Earth illustrates the physical distance between Hawai'i and the mainland, but students should be encouraged to think about other ways this distance might affect relationships between Hawai'i and the United States. 

Encourage students to share what they think of when they hear the name Hawai'i today. Write answers down and save them for students to reflect on later after completing this lesson. Additionally, encourage students to develop some questions to investigate based on their current knowledge of Hawai'i.  

The following questions can be used to help start student inquiry: 

Who has the right to decide who is in charge? 

How do countries grow, shrink, and change over time? Why? 

What does it mean to be a territory? 

When did the United States stop expanding national borders? 

Read the News

This activity asks students to consider how information is shared across the frontier. Students will first read contemporary articles from the continental U.S. that covered the events in Hawaii that led up to annexation. Next, students will read accounts of the same events from newspapers in Hawai'i. Finally, they will have a chance to reflect on how and why the accounts of these stories were so different.

American Accounts 

"The Hawaiian Rebellion" from The Daily Independent in Elko, Nevada covers the signing of the Bayonet Constitution in 1887. 

"Blount's Report" from The Rock Island Daily Argus in Rock Island, Illinois talks about the Blount Report and the American Response to the overthrow of the monarchy in 1893. 

"Annexation Opposed" from The Independent in Honolulu, Hawaii . This article is a reprint of a declaration from the Sacramento Federated Trade Council of California's official stance against Hawaiian annexation because it would increase Asian immigrant labor in the west coast in 1897. 

"The Illinois House..." from The Oasis in Nogales, Arizona. This short blurb talks about the patriotism inherent in supporting the Annexation of Hawai'i in 1898. 

Next, students should read articles from newspapers written in Hawai'i. It is important to remember that just because these articles were written in Hawai'i does not mean they reflect the views of Indigenous Hawaiians. Instead, remind students that these articles were written by people who were much closer to the events in the islands who had a much greater interest in what was going on and what the outcome of these events would be.  

Hawaiian Accounts 

"Anti-Annexation" and "Forget Them Not" from The Independent in Honolulu, Hawaii. These two short articles both talk about the Native response to the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy and the possibility of Annexation. 

"An Object Lesson for Hawaiians" and "Questions that Need Answering" from The Independent in Honolulu, Hawaii . The first of these articles compares the plan for annexation in Hawaii to the situation in the American South following the Civil War, and what it would mean for Native Hawaiians to be under a "white man's government." The second article raises concerns and questions, both from a Native and American stance, about annexation.  

After reading these accounts from Hawai'i, invite students to reflect on the differences they noticed. Did these articles help answer other questions they had, or provide any new information? How is their response different now than it was originally?  If needed, use the guiding questions below to help get students thinking as they reflect. Have the students note these changes down, along with what made the students change their perspectives. As a class, share what altered students' opinions. 

Guiding questions for this activity: 

What do you notice in the reports from American newspapers?  

Whose perspective is present?  

Whose is missing? 

How did people communicate during this time period? 

How would these methods of communication have changed the way people understood a situation happening far away?  

Writing Resistance 

Before social media, how did large groups of people mobilize to make their will known? Protests, personal correspondence, and petitions were and still are effective tools to show that a crowd share feelings on an issue. After the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, the people of Hawai'i used many different outlets to express their will.  

One of the first ways that people were able to communicate what they wanted was through individual communication. Many Hawaiians and their supporters began to quickly write letters to influential people including the President of the United States and members of the U.S. Congress to request their support and intervention. Queen Liliuokalani wrote many of these, including this open letter to the House of Representatives insisting on being restored to power.  

In other cases, people used petitions to show how popular their ideas were with the public. A petition is a document that declares a specific desire or demand that is signed by people who support that idea. Coordinating groups like the Women's Hawaiian Patriotic League wrote petitions like this one that drew a great deal of support. This petition was mentioned in one of the newspaper articles above, and was circulated for popular consideration. More than 21,000 Native Hawaiians signed before it was sent to President McKinley protesting against annexation. These signatures were significant because at this time there were only around 40,000 total Native Hawaiians.  

Why do you think that both the letter and petition above were valuable tools in resisting annexation? What might make them effective? Can you think of any parallels to these kinds of communications today?  

Think about an issue in your school or community that matters to you. Work in small groups to write your own petition, and then ask other students and teachers to sign it. Alternatively, think about someone who might be able to address this problem. Write them a letter explaining your views and requesting action. This activity can happen over the course of a few days or weeks.  

Statehood – What Changed? 

By the 1940's public opinion in Hawai'i had flipped in favor of statehood. At the time, this initiative was supported by both Indigenous and white Hawaiians. Have students explore these photos from the Hawai'i State Archives.  

• Statehood- Honor Roll Petition 2/54 #17  
• Statehood- Honor Roll Petition 2/54 #18  
• Statehood- Celebration #1  
• Statehood- Celebration #2  

These photos are part of two collections in the Hawaiian State Archives that document the ways that people pushed for statehood, as well as the festivities surrounding the official celebration of Hawai'i's becoming a state in March of 1959.  

Use the following questions to start a conversation: 

What do you see in these photos? What does this tell you about how people felt about Hawai'i being part of the United States at this time? How had those feelings changed since 1898? Why do you think that this change happened? Do you think everyone in Hawai'i changed their mind?  

Encourage students to talk about times when their feelings about an issue changed. What caused you to change your opinion?  

For Hawaiians, statehood was an opportunity to take a more active role in the way their islands were run. As a territory, Hawai'i's governors and judges were all appointed – Hawaiians could not vote on these offices. Additionally, territories like Hawai'i only had one representative in Congress who was not allowed to vote on any issues. Why would not having an active representative be significant?  

Today, Hawaiian statehood is again prompting a lot of conversation. For many Native Hawaiians, statehood was a step towards self-determination while not being the final destination. There are several influential movements that argue that Hawaii should be allowed to become a sovereign nation with a native monarchy again. At the same time, the United States has other territories that are missing the same rights that Hawaiians were arguing for back in the 1940's and 50's. Places like Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, and American Samoa are all territories that have, to varying degrees, begun to question why they are not also states.     

Letter to the Editor

After completing the lesson activities, invite students to reflect on how they feel about Hawai'i's story. What other questions do they have about these events? What feelings do they want to express to others?  For this assessment, students will write a "letter to the editor" to share their feelings in a public forum. If students prefer, they could also put together a short presentation similar to something that might be brought to a town hall meeting. This is a chance for students to enter this conversation, express their understanding of this topic and inquire further. Additionally, encourage students to think about modern issues that are similar to those that Hawai'i has faced. These might include extending statehood to other territories, arguments over Indigenous sovereignty, or other topics. For further discussion, students can share their presentations or letters with the class, providing an opportunity for other students to respond. 

Hawaiian Music

Hawaiian music plays a large role in modern efforts to preserve and promote Indigenous Hawaiian culture today. As an extension to this lesson plan, students can listen to the following Hawaiian songs as well as read their lyrics in both English and Hawaiian. Two of the following songs were written by Queen Liliuokalani during her imprisonment in Iolani Palace, and the other was written in 1906 in honor of the leaders who were seen as responsible for the formation of Hawai'i. Have students reflect on what these songs may be able to teach them about Hawaiian culture, especially during the period of annexation. Have them think about other songs in their own culture that may be a response to current events. 

Ku'u Pua I Paoakalani - Performed by George Helm with both English and Hawaiian Lyrics. The lyrics for this song were written while Liliuokalani was imprisoned in the Iolani Palace-  Lyrics in both English and Hawaiian.

Ke Aloha O Ka Haku (the Queen's Prayer)- Also written while Liliuokalani was imprisoned.  Lyrics in both English and Hawaiian.

Ka Naʻi Aupuni (The Conquerors of the Nation) - Composed by William Kahino.  Lyrics in both English and Hawaiian.

Hawaii's Long Road To Statehood (National Archives) 

The Last Time Congress Created a New State (National Constitution Center) 

Hawaii Statehood, August 21, 1959 (National Archives) 

Hawaii Statehood: Chronicling America (University of Hawaii at Manoa Library) 

Related on EDSITEment

Japanese american internment camps during wwii, asian american & pacific islander perspectives within humanities education, connecting the past and present with the immigrant stories project, everything your students need to know about immigration history, asian american and pacific islander heritage and history in the u.s., the birth of an american empire, the monroe doctrine: origin and early american foreign policy.

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Hawaiians' Life and Culture

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3 Ways to Prepare Students for the New State Tests

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3.2: How to Write a Definition Essay

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A definition essay can be deceivingly difficult to write. This type of paper requires you to write a personal yet academic definition of one specific word. The definition must be thorough and lengthy. It is essential that you choose a word that will give you plenty to write about, and there are a few standard tactics you can use to elaborate on the term. Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind when writing a definition essay.

Part 1 of 3: Choosing the Right Word

1: choose an abstract word with a complex meaning. [1].

A simple word that refers to a concrete word will not give you much to write about, but a complex word that refers to an abstract concept provides more material to explore.

• Typically, nouns that refer to a person, place, or thing are too simple for a definition essay. Nouns that refer to an idea work better, however, as do most adjectives.
• For example, the word “house” is fairly simple and an essay written around it may be dull. By switching to something slightly more abstract like “home,” however, you can play around with the definition more. A “home” is a concept, and there are many elements involved in the creation of a “home.” In comparison, a “house” is merely a structure.

2: Make sure that the word is disputable.

Aside from being complex, the word should also refer to something that can mean different things to different people.

• A definition essay is somewhat subjective by nature since it requires you to analyze and define a word from your own perspective. If the answer you come up with after analyzing a word is the same answer anyone else would come up with, your essay may appear to lack depth.

3: Choose a word you have some familiarity with.

Dictionary definitions can only tell you so much. Since you need to elaborate on the word you choose to define, you will need to have your own base of knowledge or experience with the concept you choose.

• For instance, if you have never heard the term “pedantic,” your understanding of the word will be limited. You can introduce yourself to the word for your essay, but without previous understanding of the concept, you will not know if the definition you describe is truly fitting.

4: Read the dictionary definition.

While you will not be relying completely on the dictionary definition for your essay, familiarizing yourself with the official definition will allow you to compare your own understanding of the concept with the simplest, most academic explanation of it.

• As an example, one definition of “friend” is “a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.” [2] Your own ideas or beliefs about what a “friend” really is likely include much more information, but this basic definition can present you with a good starting point in forming your own.

5: Research the word’s origins.

Look up your chosen word in the Oxford English Dictionary or in another etymology dictionary. [3]

• These sources can tell you the history behind a word, which can provide further insight on a general definition as well as information about how a word came to mean what it means today.

Part 2 of 3: Potential Elements of an Effective Definition

1: write an analysis. [4].

Separate a word into various parts. Analyze and define each part in its own paragraph.

• You can separate “return” into “re-” and “turn.” The word “friendship” can be separated into “friend” and “ship.”
• In order to analyze each portion of a word, you will still need to use additional defining tactics like negation and classification.
• Note that this tactic only works for words that contain multiple parts. The word “love,” for instance, cannot be broken down any further. If defining “platonic love,” though, you could define both “platonic” and “love” separately within your essay.

2: Classify the term.

Specify what classes and parts of speech a word belongs to according to a standard dictionary definition.

• While this information is very basic and dry, it can provide helpful context about the way that a given word is used.

3: Compare an unfamiliar term to something familiar.

An unfamiliar or uncommon concept can be explained using concepts that are more accessible to the average person.

• Many people have never heard of the term “confrere,” for instance. One basic definition is “a fellow member of a profession, fraternity, etc.” As such, you could compare “confrere” with “colleague,” which is a similar yet more familiar concept. [5]

4: Provide traditional details about the term.

Explain any physical characteristics or traditional thoughts used to describe your term of choice.

• The term “home” is often visualized physically as a house or apartment. In more abstract terms, “home” is traditionally thought to be a warm, cozy, and safe environment. You can include all of these features in a definition essay on “home.”

5: Use examples to illustrate the meaning.

People often relate to stories and vivid images, so using a fitting story or image that relates to the term can be used in clarifying an abstract, formless concept.

• In a definition essay about “kindness,” for example, you could write about an act of kindness you recently witnessed. Someone who mows the lawn of an elderly neighbor is a valid example, just as someone who gave you an encouraging word when you were feeling down might be.

6: Use negation to explain what the term does not mean.

If a term is often misused or misunderstood, mentioning what it is not is an effective way to bring the concept into focus.

• A common example would be the term “courage.” The term is often associated with a lack of fear, but many will argue that “courage” is more accurately described as acting in spite of fear.

7: Provide background information.

This is when your research about the etymology of a word will come in handy. Explain where the term originated and how it came to mean what it currently means.

Part 3 of 3: Definition Essay Structure

1: introduce the standard definition..

You need to clearly state what your word is along with its traditional or dictionary definition in your introductory paragraph.

• By opening with the dictionary definition of your term, you create context and a basic level of knowledge about the word. This will allow you to introduce and elaborate on your own definition.
• This is especially significant when the traditional definition of your term varies from your own definition in notable ways.

2: Define the term in your own words in your thesis.

Your actual thesis statement should define the term in your own words.

• Keep the definition in your thesis brief and basic. You will elaborate on it more in the body of your paper.
• Avoid using passive phrases involving the word “is” when defining your term. The phrases “is where” and “is when” are especially clunky. [6]
• Do not repeat part of the defined term in your definition.

3: Separate different parts of the definition into separate paragraphs.

Each tactic or method used to define your term should be explored in a separate paragraph.

• Note that you do not need to use all the possible methods of defining a term in your essay. You should use a variety of different methods in order to create a full, well-rounded picture of the term, but some tactics will work great with some terms but not with others.

4: Conclude with a summary of your main points.

Briefly summarize your main points around the start of your concluding paragraph.

• This summary does not need to be elaborate. Usually, looking at the topic sentence of each body paragraph is a good way to form a simple list of your main points.
• You can also draw the essay to a close by referring to phrases or images evoked in your introduction.

5: Mention how the definition has affected you, if desired.

If the term you define plays a part in your own life and experiences, your final concluding remarks are a good place to briefly mention the role it plays.

• Relate your experience with the term to the definition you created for it in your thesis. Avoid sharing experiences that relate to the term but contradict everything you wrote in your essay.

Sources and Citations

• www.roanestate.edu/owl/Definition.html
• http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/friend?s=t
• http://www.etymonline.com/
• http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/definition.html
• http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/confrere?s=t
• http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/definition.htm

How to Write a Definition Essay: A Step-by-Step Manual for Writing an A+ Paper

According to a definition essay meaning, it involves a thoughtful exploration and clarification of the significance of a chosen concept. To begin, carefully select a term that is broad enough to allow for in-depth analysis but specific enough to avoid ambiguity. Start the essay with a concise and standard definition drawn from reputable sources like dictionaries to provide a foundational understanding. However, most of the essay should go beyond this basic definition. Delve into the complexities of the concept, breaking it down into different components, categories, or aspects. Provide examples, anecdotes, and scenarios that illustrate the notion in various contexts, allowing readers to grasp the nuances and depth of its meaning.

Wondering how to add a definition in an essay? Structurally, a definition essay typically follows a clear and organized format. Begin with an introduction that introduces the term and its importance, followed by a thesis statement that outlines your interpretation. Each subsequent paragraph should focus on a different vista of the concept, exploring its history, evolution, and various renditions. Use transitions to ensure a smooth flow between passages. In conclusion, summarize the key points, restate your hypothesis, and leave the audience with a thought-provoking statement or a call to action. Remember that the goal is not just to define the notion but to provide a comprehensive and insightful exploration that enhances the professor's competence. Our essay writers online can help you foster a richer appreciation for the complexities inherent in language and society.

What Is a Definition Essay

A definition essay meaning suggests it is a type of academic writing that aims to provide a comprehensive explanation of a particular construct or concept. Unlike other forms of essays that may focus on argumentation or persuasion, a definition essay primarily seeks to elucidate the meaning of the chosen motif. What is the purpose of a definition essay? To delve beyond the surface-level comprehension of the word and offer a nuanced explanation combining personal insights and a broader, commonly accepted definition. This genre of essay often requires careful analysis, research, and consideration of various perspectives to present a well-rounded and thorough exploration of the selected consideration.

During the definition essay writing process, it is crucial for the writer to not only offer a concise dictionary-like definition but also to provide context, examples, and relevant anecdotes that help illuminate the leitmotif's multifaceted nature. This allows the reader to gain a deeper familiarization of the subject matter and encourages critical thinking. The essay may cover abstract concepts like love, justice, or freedom, or it can explore concrete assumptions such as technology, democracy, or sustainability. Through carefully selecting the apprehension and thoughtful exploration of its meaning, a well-executed definition essay engages readers.

Definition Essay Outline

To learn how to write a definition essay, you have to understand that a well-structured definition essay typically follows a standard format to ensure clarity and coherence in presenting the chosen concept. The introduction serves as the starting point, where the writer provides a standard definition of the aspect to establish a baseline realization for the audience. However, the introduction should go beyond a mere dictionary definition; it should include an argument that outlines the writer's interpretation and sets the stage for the following in-depth exploration. This statement guides the tutor on what to expect in the essay and highlights the specific dimensions the writer will delve into.

After realizing how to start a definition essay, proceed to the main body, where the idea is dissected and examined in detail. Each subsection within the body should focus on a distinct aspect or facet. It's crucial to provide clear and comprehensive explanations, incorporating examples, anecdotes, and illustrations to enhance the reader's erudition. Additionally, consider organizing the body paragraphs logically, perhaps moving from the more general vistas to its more specific or nuanced dimensions. Transitions between sections are essential for maintaining a smooth flow and coherence. 

Finally, the conclusion should restate the key sentence, summarize the key points discussed in the body, and offer a thoughtful reflection or a broader implication of the facet. The conclusion should leave a lasting impression and reinforce the significance of the conception in the context explored throughout the essay. Browse these essays for sale to find great examples of definition essays performed by academic wordsmiths. 

Introduction

• Hook: Engage the classroom with an interesting fact, quote, or anecdote related to the theme.
• Background: Provide a standard and basic definition from a reliable source.
• Thesis Statement: Clearly state your interpretation and the aspects you will explore in the essay.

Body Paragraphs

• Aspect 1: Start with the broader or general outlook.
• Definition: Provide a detailed explanation of the first aspect.
• Examples: Offer relevant examples, anecdotes, or scenarios to illustrate the concept.
• Aspect 2: Move on to a specific dimension.
• Definition: Delve into the details of the second aspect.
• Examples: Support your explanation with concrete examples to enhance clarity.
• Continue with additional angles as needed, ensuring a logical flow between passages.

Counterarguments (Optional)

• Address possible alternative interpretations or misconceptions.
• Refute counterarguments and reinforce the validity of your interpretation.
• Summarize: Recap the key points discussed in the body paragraphs.
• Restate Thesis: Reinforce your interpretation of the term.
• Concluding Thoughts: Provide a thoughtful reflection, broader implication, or a call to action.

Definition Essay Introduction

In the introductory section of a definition essay, the reader is presented with the topic in a manner that is not only highly informative but also compelling enough to engage them throughout the entire essay. To achieve this, the following elements are crucial:

• Hook: Utilize a captivating phrase or question to seize the reader's attention.
• Background Information: Briefly elucidate the topic and underscore its significance in being defined.
• Thesis Statement: Clearly articulate the term and provide your own interpretation of it.

Definition Essay Thesis

Unlike traditional theses, a definition essay thesis statement doesn't require the writer to argue a point. For those aiming to write an effective definition essay, the key lies in incorporating a central assertion into the concluding sentence of the introduction. Whether you're immersed in the study of astrophysics at a top-tier college or any other discipline, your statement should succinctly define the concept in your own words.

Definition Essay Body Paragraphs

As we’ve learned how to start an essay with a definition, let’s move on to the main body. Within the body of your essay, dismantle the conception into its constituent elements, assess it from various perspectives, and offer a pertinent justification. Depending on the specific writing requirements of your assignment, the number of sections may exceed three. You can introduce additional sections or rearrange the order based on the complexity of the thought. Consider employing the following structure if you want to know how to write a definition paragraph:

• Historical Definition: Detail the origin and evolution of the main idea.
• Dictionary Definition: Present the official definition and draw comparisons with your own interpretation.
• Personal Definition: Articulate your awareness of the hypothesis, supported by examples and anecdotes.
• Expert Definition: Reference a scholar's definition and elucidate any disparities from your own rendition.
• Cultural Definition: Examine how the notion is employed in popular culture and its reflection of societal values.

Definition Essay Conclusion

In the concluding paragraph, the final portion of the essay, you can study how to define a word in an essay. It is imperative to recapitulate the main points. Structure a fitting ending by following these steps:

• Restate Thesis: Summarize your definition and underscore its significance.
• Implications: Clarify how comprehending the focal point can influence our thoughts and actions.
• Call to Action: Motivate readers to employ the term accurately and advocate for precise definitions within their communities.

Definition Essay Types

Have you encountered a captivating abstraction with a rich history but didn’t know how to put definition in essay? Before committing to it, carefully consider the characteristics of definition essay and the potential approaches you can take. 

• Break down your topic into distinct components.
• Define each component separately to provide a detailed insight.

Classification

• Identify and explore the different categories or groups that your term falls under.
• Provide detailed explanations for each category, highlighting the nuances of the term.
• Showcase the uniqueness of your term by comparing it to more common or typical things.
• Highlight how your term stands out, whether through similarities or differences from the norm.
• Identify and elaborate on the specific traits and qualities that best represent the central idea of your essay.
• Support your definition with concrete examples illustrating the identified traits.
• Clearly state what your term is not, providing a refined and narrowed definition.
• Use negation to eliminate ambiguity and focus the reader's perception.

Origins and Causes

• Explore the historical roots of your term, including its first appearance and any relevant historical details.
• Provide insight into the origin and evolution of the concept over time.

Results, Effects, and Uses

• Examine the consequences and outcomes associated with your term.
• Detail the various ways in which the term is utilized and its significance in different contexts.

Tips for Writing a Definition Essay

Few students actually know how to write a definition in an essay, which can pose a challenge as it requires developing a thorough depiction of a singular term that combines both scholarly and personal elements. Selecting a term that allows for a comprehensive exploration of the essay is crucial, and adhering to traditional methods is instrumental in ensuring a nuanced grasp. Here are some tips to help you perform an effective and engaging definition essay:

• Select a term that has a clear and widely accepted definition. Avoid writing overly broad or subjective terms that may lead to ambiguity.
• Conduct thorough research to understand the various meanings and interpretations of the term. Consult reputable sources, dictionaries, and scholarly articles to gather comprehensive information.
• Begin your essay by presenting the standard or dictionary definition of the term. This serves as a foundation for your own elucidation.
• Write your personal exegis of the term. Share your perspective and insights, going beyond the standard definition.
• Experiment with different approaches such as analysis, classification, comparison, or negation to add depth to your essay. This allows you to explore various facets of the term.
• To answer the question how do you put a definition in an essay, illustrate your definition with relevant examples, anecdotes, or scenarios. Concrete examples help readers better grasp the meaning of the term.
• Organize your essay with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Each subsection should focus on a specific element of the term, contributing to a comprehensive interpretation.
• Acknowledge and address different perspectives on the term. Discuss how the meaning may vary based on context, culture, or private experiences.
• Use negation to define the term by explaining what it is not. This technique helps to eliminate confusion and refine the definition.
• Strive for clarity and precision in your language. Avoid unnecessary complexity and ensure that each word contributes to the development of the term.
• Review your essay for clarity, coherence, and consistency. Ensure that your definition is well-supported and that your writing is free from grammatical errors.
• Write for your target audience. Tailor your explanations to suit the level of erudition of your readers, providing enough detail without overwhelming them.
• Summarize your main points in the conclusion and restate your argumentation. Consider the broader implications or significance of writing about the term.
• Have someone else read your essay to gain feedback. This can provide valuable insights and help you identify areas for improvement.

Need extra tips regarding how to write an academic essay ? Our expensive guide offers everything you need and more to write A-grade essays quickly. 

Definition Essay Topic Ideas

Check out 30 definition essay examples of topics that you can get inspired by and brainstorm your own brilliant ideas to write about in your essay. 

• Defining true achievement beyond material wealth.
• Exploring the many faces of bravery.
• Unraveling the layers of genuine connection.
• A multifaceted journey to contentment.
• Navigating the moral compass in a complex world.
• The power to bounce back from life's challenges.
• Understanding and sharing the feelings of others.
• The ever-evolving landscape of creative progress.
• Striving for fairness in a diverse society.
• Balancing personal liberties with social responsibility.
• The interplay of self-perception and social constructs.
• Integrating knowledge and experience for sound judgment.
• The pursuit of fairness and equity in legal systems.
• Nurturing connections that transcend time and distance.
• Beyond the classroom – lifelong learning and growth.
• Building bonds in a hyperconnected world.
• Fostering hope in the face of adversity.
• Inspiring and guiding others toward a common goal.
• Unveiling the aesthetic essence beyond physical appearance.
• Celebrating differences for a richer human experience.
• Acts of selflessness in a self-centric world.
• Balancing human needs with environmental responsibility.
• Unleashing imagination for innovative problem-solving.
• A holistic approach to physical and mental well-being.
• Standing in the intersection of heritage and modernity.
• Examining the impact of innovation on human life.
• Transformative growth in the face of challenges.
• The evolution of thought and behavior across the lifespan.
• Discovering meaning and direction in life.
• The art of expressing ideas and building connections.

Two Definition Essay Examples

To grasp the essence of what writing definition essay is about, it’s always a great idea to have a vivid example in front of you. Preferably done by someone who knows their writing craft. If you choose to use this definition essay example as a reference, feel free to analyze its structure and format. Alternatively, you can opt to purchase an essay affordably and of the highest quality on our platform!

How to Write a Good Thesis Statement for Definition Essay?

How to write a definition essay, how to format a definition in an essay, how to write a definition paragraph.

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About the Hawaiian Language

Hawaiian is a Polynesian language spoken on all of the inhabited islands of Hawai‘i with only minor dialectical differences between them.In the nineteenth century, Hawaiian became a written language. At the same time, it became the language of the Hawaiian government in public offices, the courts, the school system and the legislature. In addition, it was the most widely used language among the general public, which included foreigners and various local ethnic groups. However, with the subjugation of Hawai‘i under the rule of the United States in 1898, Hawaiian was supplanted and English became the official language for all government offices and transactions. By the turn of the century, a Hawai‘i Creole language had begun to develop. This hybrid was the result of two language dynamics occurring simultaneously: 1) the attempt suddenly of a public, heretofore accustomed to communicating in Hawaiian, to speak now in English, and 2) the Pidgin Hawaiian that was spoken by immigrants.

In recent times, however, much has transpired to rekindle the use of Hawaiian. In 1978, Hawaiian was re-established as an official language of the state of Hawai‘i. In 1987, government schools began using Hawaiian as the medium of instruction at selected sites. In 1990, the federal government of the United States adopted a policy to recognize the right of Hawai‘i to preserve, use, and support its indigenous language. Today, the number of Hawaiian speakers grows steadily in homes and in the schools. To date, Hawaiian is the most widely studied Native American language and it is the only Native American language that is used officially by a state government.

• Spelling and Pronunciation
• Did You Know...? (Radio Program)
• Hawaiian 101 Audio Podcast by Kainani Kahaunaele
• Kumu Honua Mauli Ola - A Native Hawaiian Educational Philosophy Statement
• Hawai‘i Guidelines for Culturally Healthy and Responsive Learning Environments (Nā Honua Mauli Ola)
• Kū i ka Mānaleo Audio Collection
• Lau Kukui Audio Collection

Definition Essay

Definition Essay - Writing Guide, Examples and Tips

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Published on: Oct 9, 2020

Last updated on: Jan 31, 2024

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Many students struggle with writing definition essays due to a lack of clarity and precision in their explanations.

This obstructs them from effectively conveying the essence of the terms or concepts they are tasked with defining. Consequently, the essays may lack coherence, leaving readers confused and preventing them from grasping the intended meaning.

But don’t worry!

In this guide, we will delve into effective techniques and step-by-step approaches to help students craft an engaging definition essay.

Continue reading to learn the correct formation of a definition essay. 

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What is a Definition Essay?

Just as the name suggests, a definition essay defines and explains a term or a concept. Unlike a narrative essay, the purpose of writing this essay is only to inform the readers.

Writing this essay type can be deceivingly tricky. Some terms, concepts, and objects have concrete definitions when explained. In contrast others are solely based on the writer’s understanding and point of view.

A definition essay requires a writer to use different approaches when discussing a term. These approaches are the following:

• Denotation - It is when you provide a literal or academic definition of the term.
• Connotation - It is when the writer provides an implied meaning or definition of the term.
• Enumeration - For this approach, a list is employed to define a term or a concept.
• Analogy - It is a technique in which something is defined by implementing a comparison.
• Negation - It is when you define a term by stating what it is not.

A single or combination of approaches can be used in the essay. 

Definition Essay Types

There are several types of definition essays that you may be asked to write, depending on the purpose and scope of the assignment. 

In this section, we will discuss some of the most common types of definition essays.

Descriptive Definition Essay 

This type of essay provides a detailed description of a term or concept, emphasizing its key features and characteristics. 

The goal of a descriptive definition essay is to help readers understand the term or concept in a more profound way.

Stipulative Definition Essay 

In a stipulative definition essay, the writer provides a unique definition of a term or concept. This type of essay is often used in academic settings to define a term in a particular field of study. 

The goal of a stipulative definition essay is to provide a precise and clear definition that is specific to the context of the essay.

Analytical Definition Essay 

This compare and contrast essay type involves analyzing a term or concept in-depth. Breaking it down into its component parts, and examining how they relate to each other. 

The goal of an analytical definition essay is to provide a more nuanced and detailed understanding of the term or concept being discussed.

Persuasive Definition Essay 

A persuasive definition essay is an argumentative essay that aims to persuade readers to accept a particular definition of a term or concept.

The writer presents their argument for the definition and uses evidence and examples to support their position.

Explanatory Definition Essay 

An explanatory definition essay is a type of expository essay . It aims to explain a complex term or concept in a way that is easy to understand for the reader. 

The writer breaks down the term or concept into simpler parts and provides examples and analogies to help readers understand it better.

Extended Definition Essay 

An extended definition essay goes beyond the definition of a word or concept and provides a more in-depth analysis and explanation. 

The goal of an extended definition essay is to provide a comprehensive understanding of a term, concept, or idea. This includes its history, origins, and cultural significance. 

How to Write a Definition Essay?

Writing a definition essay is simple if you know the correct procedure. This essay, like all the other formal pieces of documents, requires substantial planning and effective execution.

The following are the steps involved in writing a definition essay effectively:

Instead of choosing a term that has a concrete definition available, choose a word that is complicated . Complex expressions have abstract concepts that require a writer to explore deeper. Moreover, make sure that different people perceive the term selected differently. 

Once you have a word to draft your definition essay for, read the dictionary. These academic definitions are important as you can use them to compare your understanding with the official concept.

Drafting a definition essay is about stating the dictionary meaning and your explanation of the concept. So the writer needs to have some information about the term.

In addition to this, when exploring the term, make sure to check the term’s origin. The history of the word can make you discuss it in a better way.

Coming up with an exciting title for your essay is important. The essay topic will be the first thing that your readers will witness, so it should be catchy.

Creatively draft an essay topic that reflects meaning. In addition to this, the usage of the term in the title should be correctly done. The readers should get an idea of what the essay is about and what to expect from the document.

Now that you have a topic in hand, it is time to gather some relevant information. A definition essay is more than a mere explanation of the term. It represents the writer’s perception of the chosen term and the topic.

So having only personal opinions will not be enough to defend your point. Deeply research and gather information by consulting credible sources.

The gathered information needs to be organized to be understandable. The raw data needs to be arranged to give a structure to the content.

Here's a generic outline for a definition essay:

Are you searching for an in-depth guide on crafting a well-structured definition essay?Check out this definition essay outline blog!

6. Write the First Draft

Drafting each section correctly is a daunting task. Understanding what or what not to include in these sections requires a writer to choose wisely.

The start of your essay matters a lot. If it is on point and attractive, the readers will want to read the text. As the first part of the essay is the introduction , it is considered the first impression of your essay.

To write your definition essay introduction effectively, include the following information:

• Start your essay with a catchy hook statement that is related to the topic and the term chosen.
• State the generally known definition of the term. If the word chosen has multiple interpretations, select the most common one.
• Provide background information precisely. Determine the origin of the term and other relevant information.
• Shed light on the other unconventional concepts and definitions related to the term.
• Decide on the side or stance you want to pick in your essay and develop a thesis statement .

After briefly introducing the topic, fully explain the concept in the body section . Provide all the details and evidence that will support the thesis statement. To draft this section professionally, add the following information:

• A detailed explanation of the history of the term.
• Analysis of the dictionary meaning and usage of the term.
• A comparison and reflection of personal understanding and the researched data on the concept.

Once all the details are shared, give closure to your discussion. The last paragraph of the definition essay is the conclusion . The writer provides insight into the topic as a conclusion.

The concluding paragraphs include the following material:

• Summary of the important points.
• Restated thesis statement.
• A final verdict on the topic.

7. Proofread and Edit

Although the writing process ends with the concluding paragraph, there is an additional step. It is important to proofread the essay once you are done writing. Proofread and revise your document a couple of times to make sure everything is perfect.

Before submitting your assignment, make edits, and fix all mistakes and errors.

If you want to learn more about how to write a definition essay, here is a video guide for you!

Definition Essay Structure 

The structure of a definition essay is similar to that of any other academic essay. It should consist of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. 

However, the focus of a definition essay is on defining and explaining a particular term or concept. 

In this section, we will discuss the structure of a definition essay in detail.

Introduction 

Get the idea of writing an introduction for a definition essay with this example:

Body Paragraphs

Here is an example of how to craft your definition essay body paragraph:

Types of the Term/Concept 

If applicable, the writer may want to include a section that discusses the different types or categories of the term or concept being defined. 

This section should explain the similarities and differences between the types, using examples and anecdotes to illustrate the points.

Examples of the Term/Concept in Action 

The writer should also include real-life examples of the term or concept being defined in action. 

This will help the reader better understand the term or concept in context and how it is used in everyday life.

Conclusion 

This example will help you writing a conclusion fo you essay:

Definition Essay Examples

It is important to go through some examples and samples before writing an essay. This is to understand the writing process and structure of the assigned task well.

Following are some examples of definition essays to give our students a better idea of the concept. 

Understanding the Definition Essay

Definition Essay Example

Definition Essay About Friendship

Definition Essay About Love

Family Definition Essay

Success Definition Essay

Beauty Definition Essay

Definition Essay Topics

Selecting the right topic is challenging for other essay types. However, picking a suitable theme for a definition essay is equally tricky yet important. Pick an interesting subject to ensure maximum readership.

If you are facing writer’s block, here is a list of some great definition essay topics for your help. Choose from the list below and draft a compelling essay.

• Authenticity
• Sustainability
• Mindfulness

Here are some more extended definition essay topics:

• Social media addiction
• Ethical implications of gene editing
• Personalized learning in the digital age
• Ecosystem services
• Cultural assimilation versus cultural preservation
• Sustainable fashion
• Gender equality in the workplace
• Financial literacy and its impact on personal finance
• Ethical considerations in artificial intelligence
• Welfare state and social safety nets

Need more topics? Check out this definition essay topics blog!

Definition Essay Writing Tips

Knowing the correct writing procedure is not enough if you are not aware of the essay’s small technicalities. To help students write a definition essay effortlessly, expert writers of CollegeEssay.org have gathered some simple tips.

These easy tips will make your assignment writing phase easy.

• Choose an exciting yet informative topic for your essay.
• When selecting the word, concept, or term for your essay, make sure you have the knowledge.
• When consulting a dictionary for the definition, provide proper referencing as there are many choices available.
• To make the essay informative and credible, always provide the origin and history of the term.
• Highlight different meanings and interpretations of the term.
• Discuss the transitions and evolution in the meaning of the term in any.
• Provide your perspective and point of view on the chosen term.

Following these tips will guarantee you better grades in your academics.

By following the step-by-step approach explained in this guide, you will acquire the skills to craft an outstanding essay. 

Struggling with the thought, " write my college essay for m e"? Look no further.

Our dedicated definition essay writing service is here to craft the perfect essay that meets your academic needs.

For an extra edge, explore our AI essay writer , a tool designed to refine your essays to perfection. 

Barbara P (Literature, Marketing)

Barbara is a highly educated and qualified author with a Ph.D. in public health from an Ivy League university. She has spent a significant amount of time working in the medical field, conducting a thorough study on a variety of health issues. Her work has been published in several major publications.

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or Ha·wai·'i

a state of the United States comprising the northern Pacific islands of Hawaii, Kahoolawe, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai, Niihau, and Oahu: a U.S. territory 1900–59; admitted to the Union 1959. 6,424 sq. mi. (16,715 sq. km). Capital : Honolulu. Abbreviations : HI (for use with zip code), Haw.

Official name Island of Hawaii .Also called Hawaii Island, the Big Island . the largest island of Hawaii, in the southeastern part of the state. 4,028 sq. mi. (10,430 sq. km).

Kingdom of Hawaii. the Hawaiian Kingdom .

Compare Meanings

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

Origin of Hawaii

Usage note for hawaii, words nearby hawaii.

• Hawaiian Gardens
• Hawaiian goose
• Hawaiian guitar
• Hawaiian honeycreeper

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Hawaii in a sentence

Hawaii has allowed visitors to skip quarantine if they can prove they have tested negative for the virus.

Flip through the recommended options and learn about the goddess Pele and Hawaii Volcanoes history as you decide where to take in the show.

Mark Warner of Virginia, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

Nicholas DeCarlo, a friend of Hawaii Proud Boys leader Nicholas Ochs, was arrested Tuesday, according to the Justice Department.

While it’s not too infrequent to see snow in Hawaii , it’s always something to see.

President Rhee resigned soon thereafter and was secreted out of the country to Hawaii by the American CIA.

At his year-end, pre- Hawaii press conference, we caught a rare glimpse of peak Obama.

He said he uses the quiet time at night to ponder a move to Puerto Rico or maybe Hawaii .

In pre-contact Hawaii , he reminds us, all land belonged to the king.

California died in 1997 while rescuing his son from drowning in Hawaii .

Then she answered with a pained and half-terrified air, "Nobody in Hawaii will give you any assistance."

Twenty-four natives were shipped at Hawaii , twelve for the crew and twelve for the new settlement.

At the end of two months he learned that Greenfield had shipped as a common sailor on a freighter that touched at Hawaii .

The nomenclature is found particularly on the island of Hawaii , though it also occurs in Micronesian territory.

He had friends in government, business, unions, guilds and clubs and leagues from Maine to Hawaii .

British Dictionary definitions for Hawaii

/ ( həˈwaɪɪ ) /

a state of the US in the central Pacific, consisting of over 20 volcanic islands and atolls, including Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Kauai, and Molokai: discovered by Captain Cook in 1778; annexed by the US in 1898; naval base at Pearl Harbor attacked by the Japanese in 1941, a major cause of US entry into World War II; became a state in 1959. Capital: Honolulu. Pop: 1 257 608 (2003 est). Area: 16 640 sq km (6425 sq miles) : Former name: Sandwich Islands Abbreviation: Ha , (with zip code) HI

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Hawaii

State located in the Pacific Ocean southwest of the mainland United States; consists mainly of a chain of eight islands, including Hawaii, the largest, and Oahu, location of Honolulu , the state's capital and largest city.

Notes for Hawaii

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• How to Write Definition Essay + Topics
• How to Write a Definition Essay: Ultimate Guide with Topics and Examples

What Is a Definition Essay and Its Purpose?

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Essay writing can be a challenge for students because some academic papers require special skills, knowledge, and in-depth research. Some tasks are not complicated. And a definition essay is such an assignment. Its main aim is to define the term by giving an explanation that is wider than a regular dictionary entry . If you ask yourself, Why write essay when you can just check the meaning in the dictionary? Or looking for answers to questions like: 

• How to create a definition essay outline?
• What are the steps for writing a definition essay?
• What are good definition essay topics?
• Where to get essay examples?

You will find them in this article. You will learn how to write a definition essay, pick the best topic, structure your paper, and see excellent definition essay samples for better understanding. These simple but useful tips from our essay writing service will help you complete this task fast and effectively. So, read on.

The term “definition essay”, also referred to as an extended definition essay, explains its meaning by itself. It’s an essay type, the purpose of which is to give a complete definition of the particular word, term, notion, concept, or phenomenon. It also helps to solve the issue of controversy in case one notion has several meanings, explains connotations and usage in different contexts, as well as provides examples . The quality of a definition paper depends on your writing skills and understanding of a topic. People don’t like reading about obvious things. Such terms as an apple, sky, book are not the best topics for your definition essays. Choose abstract terms , such as love, freedom, happiness, etc. You should expand the readers’ knowledge, give them new information they can’t find in a regular dictionary. 

There exist several approaches to defining a term. Most commonly, they can be used together. However, in some cases, only one particular approach can be used. You can choose the one that is more suitable for the word you’ve chosen. These approaches are as follows:

• Denotation is providing a dictionary definition of a term.
• Connotation is the meaning beyond dictionary definition. It can express the person's attitude and the meanings the word has acquired with time.
• Comparison or analogy is an approach when you compare two similar notions.
• Enumeration means listing all the meanings of the word.
• Negation explains the notion by contradiction by explaining what it is not.

Although they might seem similar, definition paragraph and definition essays are different assignments. Definition only explains the meaning of a notion, concept, term, phenomenon, etc. An essay also helps to solve the issue of controversy in case there exist several diverse meanings of the same notion. It informs the reader about the possible interpretations and approaches to the term. It also describes its peculiarities and possible contexts within which the term or notion can occur. Thus, the main difference between definition and definition essay is that an essay provides a full context of usage of the notion. A definition only gives a basic dictionary explanation. Now you know the answer to a popular question “what is a definition essay?” Therefore, it is time to learn how to create an outline, find the best topic, and write definition essays.

Any piece of academic writing has its specific components. You should know it to meet the paper criteria and create a proper essay. Definition essay structure includes the regular parts of any other academic writing:

• Introduction.
• Thesis statement.
• Body paragraphs (its number depends on the term you are going to explain and the complexity of the chosen subject).
• Conclusion.

As is the case with any other creative assignment, this task can’t be written without an outline. It is a plan of your paper highlighting all the main points . Some teachers might require an essay outline before students start writing an essay. They do this to make sure students understand the essay structure and organize their ideas logically.  To create an outline, place your thesis at the top to understand the perspective of your paper. After this, write down one-sentence main idea for each paragraph, i.e. one sentence for intro, each body paragraph, and conclusion. Develop all your ideas logically and express them clearly.

Drafting an outline is only one step of definition writing. Wonder how to write your essay fast and without buzz? Follow these simple recommendations.

• Choose the term. Make sure the word you choose is neither too broad nor too narrow.
• Conduct research. Before you start writing, make sure there is enough information on the topic, and take notes during research. Find all the possible meanings and peculiarities of usage. You can find them in dictionaries and encyclopedias.
• Formulate a thesis statement. In this case, it will be the definition of your term.
• Draft an outline. Organize your ideas logically in an essay outline.
• Write your paper. Develop ideas from an outline in your introduction, main body, and conclusion.
• Double-check your essay. Proofread the paper to ensure it is devoid of any type of mistakes and plagiarism.

Now that you know the structure of a definition essay and have a writing plan, let’s discuss each part of a definition essay in detail.

Keep in mind that before you embark on writing an informative and interesting introduction, you should make yourself familiar with a few rules. An introduction must include several essential elements. The first one is an essay hook. Its purpose is to catch readers’ attention and make them interested in reading the essay to the end. You can mention something catchy and intriguing instead of the basic definition from a dictionary (it depends on the effect you want to achieve). A hook for essay can be:

• Curious fact or statistics
• A relevant quote
• A real-life example
• A rhetorical question

Proceed by introducing your topic . And finish the introductory paragraph with a thesis statement . This section should be brief but informative.

Thesis should express the main idea of your essay. Considering different types of essays , a definition of the notion you are writing about would serve this purpose. In any case, a thesis statement should be clear, specific, concise, and debatable . Sometimes you are required to write a definition of a concrete notion. In this case, you will find all the necessary information in dictionaries. It is more interesting when you are writing about some abstract notions, such as love or home, and have to create your own definition.

Most commonly, the main body should consist of at least three paragraphs. There might be many more paragraphs. It depends on the complexity of the chosen subject and the requirements of your English tutor for this assignment. The fundamental goal of a student who deals with definition essays is to define the term, explain different meanings and usages, as well as give examples. Another essential point is understanding the notion under investigation. You have to provide enough information to uncover all the crucial facts about the word, explain its meaning, origin, etymology , etc. Definition essays must be based on facts and provide the audience with a personal vision of the author. So, look through the sources, write a bibliography page and make sure that you have a deep understanding of the theme before you immerse yourself in definition essay writing.  To succeed with a definition essay body paragraph, you should follow some rules:

• Make sure you properly understand the chosen word
• Explain one idea per paragraph
• If the word you’ve defined has more than one meaning, explain all of them.
• Use examples, provide various points of view to support the core information.
• Proofread your essay to eliminate all the mistakes and improve the grade. 
• Properly cite all the borrowed ideas and create a reference list. 
• Always run your essays through plagiarism checkers to ensure it’s plagiarism-free. 

Conclusion is an indispensable part of an essay, which makes it complete. The primary aim of this part is to give readers a complete definition of the chosen term. Restate your thesis statement, summarize the main points of your paper, and provide a general conclusion. If you explained an abstract term or created your own definition, you may share how it influences your life or perception of some things. Real-life examples always work well.

How to write an extended definition essay without an excellent topic that grabs the readers’ attention? It may be a troublesome task; you have to pick or think up a great topic for your definition paper. In this case, have a look at these useful tips.

• Give preference to abstract notions rather than general words that are clear and don’t have any hidden meaning.
• If the term is too broad, discuss only some of its usages or collocations.
• Give examples for better understanding.
• Your essay must be based on facts (a list of references must be added).
• Don’t pick terms that are too debatable because you like the word. Your goal is to inform, not to persuade.
• Make sure you have enough information on the term
• Give preference to the topics to write about that are familiar to you.
• Read sample definition essays for inspiration.

If you want to write something about love, you can choose an idea from the list below.

• The meaning of love for various people.
• Shakespeare wrote a lot of love sonnets. How does this writer define love in his sonnets?
• What is true love: key facts about this definition?
• What explanation does Tim O’Brien give for the term love?
• Human’s freedom and love: what does it mean for us?
• Counseling and love: similar aspects of these terms.
• How do people explain love?
• Love in our everyday life, how do people show their love to others?
• The philosophical meaning of the term love.
• What is your favorite book about love?

Choose an idea from the list of excellent topics for a family definition to create the top-notch academic paper.

• The ideal family through American history.
• How did society change the meaning of the term family in the past years?
• Why is it difficult to give a single explanation for the term family?
• How family and responsibility are connected? Can we compare both terms?
• The importance of family in the modern world.
• What types of families are normal in our society?
• What are family values and how to develop them?
• How to spend the summer with your family?
• What is the institution of marriage? What factors can determine it?
• Who is a single parent? What problems does a single parent face in modern society?

A proper topic is a huge step to writing an excellent definition essay. Have a look at our topics for a freedom definition essay and choose the best sample for yourself:

• Historical evolution of the term “freedom”.
• What does the term “freedom” mean for various cultures? Find a corresponding article, analyze it and provide the answer.
• Independence definition: why should you understand the meaning of this word?
• How does Eric Foner define the freedom in his Story of American Freedom?
• How does school define the term “freedom”?
• Is it possible to give a comprehensive explanation of freedom?
• How do people lose freedom; what does this mean for them?
• How does the gas valve steel our freedom? Define the key strategies for development of the country.
• Why is freedom of speech crucial for modern society?
• What is religious freedom? Trace its evolution and base your writing on different articles.

If you can’t decide on the best definition essay topic, try one of these exciting ideas:

• Why are the terms of money and happiness connected for some people?
• Person’s happiness and the factors that determine this feeling.
• What is pseudo happiness; why do some people mix up true and pseudo happiness?
• What is a happy life, what factors define this term for people?
• The term “happiness” has a lot of definitions. Provide the audience with the best of them.
• What writer does prefer covering the topic of happiness?
• Happiness in our everyday life: how can you feel it?
• Philosophical meaning of the term happiness.
• Happiness and well-being, are these terms correlated?

If you don’t have specific requirements for the topic, you may pick one of the common topics for your definition essay.

• Money and success. What do these terms have in common?
• What is graffiti? Define its variations and main styles. Why do some people call it art?
• The primary definition of friendship. Why do some people have internal interconnection?
• What is online dating?
• What is rudeness: examples of the rude behavior people face every day.
• How do some people define the term home?
• Who is an unsuccessful person? Do they really exist or this is just our autosuggestion?
• How to become a good person: the key traits of good people.
• How does science influence our life?
• What is a successful career for the majority of people?

Browse good argumentative essay topics  we prepared for our users. You can choose something interesting for your essay writing.

Choose one of these definition essay topics for college and complete this writing task without extra efforts.

• What is project management? Create a complete explanation of this term.
• Excellent shopping experience for various people: what does this mean?
• American Dream explanation: the evolution of this term, historical facts that explain its core characteristics.
• The meaning of marriage in different cultures.
• What does respect mean for people, how can you show that you respect someone?
• How can you see that the person is a hero and what personal characteristics prove that someone is a hero?
• What is depression? What facts about this term should you know?
• Modern technologies for education. How do they improve students’ knowledge?
• Successful career.
• Basic components that determine this term for people in various countries.
• Time management in modern life. What does it mean for the majority of people?

These definition argument essay topics are related to various aspects and explain multiple spheres of our life.

• Reformation of the modern school system: the primary elements of such reorganization.
• Technology and education: the significant role of the innovations and new styles in the school system.
• Emails, chats, cell phones instead of face-to-face communication: is it good for society?
• The role of immigration in humans’ history.
• World peace: what factors may help to establish it? (Consult: World peace essay .)
• What is the cultural heritage? Why is it important for different generations and various countries of the world no matter how developed the country is?
• Pollution and health: are these terms correlated?
• What is recycling, and how people can improve this process?
• The influence of social media on children and adults. Why do some of them face some issues while using these online resources?
• What is nanotechnology? How to use it in the future? Base your article on trusted sources.

If you need to explain several terms or concepts in your definition paper, you may consider extended definition essay topics from our list.

• Who is a team player, and how to identify this person among your colleagues?
• How to distinguish the moral act? The significant characteristics of this term.
• How to save privacy in the modern world when almost every action is controlled by different institutions and governments?
• Optimism and pessimism. What is the difference? Why do some people prefer to brighten up some life situations?
• What is the leadership? How to become a leader in modern society?
• How to be a good parent; what skills should you develop in your children?
• Various addictions that people may face. Why does it happen?
• Capitalism and communism definition: the core difference between these terms? What services do they provide for society?
• What is laziness? Why are some people lazy?
• What is a religion? Its influence in different countries.

If you need to see some examples for better understanding or inspiration, check the sample we have prepared for you.

Categorizing data based on particular properties has never been easy for an average student. Unless a student is doing well in statistics, he or she will not find it difficult to conduct research, analyze data, and break down the information into several categories. Other students keep wondering how...

Everything in this world is interconnected. New toys make kids happy, while stressful situations make them sad. To properly understand the matter of a cause and effect essay, students should pay attention to the way things relate to each other. This article will explain the most crucial details of h...

If you are reading this article, you need to write an informative essay. You might have written it before or this might be your first informative paper. The point is that you are looking for some tips and guides on how to write a really good informative essay.That is for sure! Because you want a hig...

• How to Write a Definition Essay

A definition essay can be deceivingly difficult to write. This type of paper requires you to write a personal yet academic definition of one specific word. The definition must be thorough and lengthy. It is essential that you choose a word that will give you plenty to write about, and there are a few standard tactics you can use to elaborate on the term. Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind when writing a definition essay.

Part 1 of 3: Choosing the Right Word

1: choose an abstract word with a complex meaning. [1].

A simple word that refers to a concrete word will not give you much to write about, but a complex word that refers to an abstract concept provides more material to explore.

• Typically, nouns that refer to a person, place, or thing are too simple for a definition essay. Nouns that refer to an idea work better, however, as do most adjectives.
• For example, the word “house” is fairly simple and an essay written around it may be dull. By switching to something slightly more abstract like “home,” however, you can play around with the definition more. A “home” is a concept, and there are many elements involved in the creation of a “home.” In comparison, a “house” is merely a structure.

2: Make sure that the word is disputable.

Aside from being complex, the word should also refer to something that can mean different things to different people.

• A definition essay is somewhat subjective by nature since it requires you to analyze and define a word from your own perspective. If the answer you come up with after analyzing a word is the same answer anyone else would come up with, your essay may appear to lack depth.

3: Choose a word you have some familiarity with.

Dictionary definitions can only tell you so much. Since you need to elaborate on the word you choose to define, you will need to have your own base of knowledge or experience with the concept you choose.

• For instance, if you have never heard the term “pedantic,” your understanding of the word will be limited. You can introduce yourself to the word for your essay, but without previous understanding of the concept, you will not know if the definition you describe is truly fitting.

4: Read the dictionary definition.

While you will not be relying completely on the dictionary definition for your essay, familiarizing yourself with the official definition will allow you to compare your own understanding of the concept with the simplest, most academic explanation of it.

• As an example, one definition of “friend” is “a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.” [2] Your own ideas or beliefs about what a “friend” really is likely include much more information, but this basic definition can present you with a good starting point in forming your own.

5:  Research the word’s origins.

Look up your chosen word in the Oxford English Dictionary or in another etymology dictionary. [3]

• These sources can tell you the history behind a word, which can provide further insight on a general definition as well as information about how a word came to mean what it means today.

Part 2 of 3: Potential Elements of an Effective Definition

1: write an analysis. [4].

Separate a word into various parts. Analyze and define each part in its own paragraph.

• You can separate “return” into “re-” and “turn.” The word “friendship” can be separated into “friend” and “ship.”
• In order to analyze each portion of a word, you will still need to use additional defining tactics like negation and classification.
• Note that this tactic only works for words that contain multiple parts. The word “love,” for instance, cannot be broken down any further. If defining “platonic love,” though, you could define both “platonic” and “love” separately within your essay.

2:  Classify the term.

Specify what classes and parts of speech a word belongs to according to a standard dictionary definition.

• While this information is very basic and dry, it can provide helpful context about the way that a given word is used.

3: Compare an unfamiliar term to something familiar.

An unfamiliar or uncommon concept can be explained using concepts that are more accessible to the average person.

• Many people have never heard of the term “confrere,” for instance. One basic definition is “a fellow member of a profession, fraternity, etc.” As such, you could compare “confrere” with “colleague,” which is a similar yet more familiar concept. [5]

4:  Provide traditional details about the term.

Explain any physical characteristics or traditional thoughts used to describe your term of choice.

• The term “home” is often visualized physically as a house or apartment. In more abstract terms, “home” is traditionally thought to be a warm, cozy, and safe environment. You can include all of these features in a definition essay on “home.”

5: Use examples to illustrate the meaning.

People often relate to stories and vivid images, so using a fitting story or image that relates to the term can be used in clarifying an abstract, formless concept.

• In a definition essay about “kindness,” for example, you could write about an act of kindness you recently witnessed. Someone who mows the lawn of an elderly neighbor is a valid example, just as someone who gave you an encouraging word when you were feeling down might be.

6: Use negation to explain what the term does not mean.

If a term is often misused or misunderstood, mentioning what it is not is an effective way to bring the concept into focus.

• A common example would be the term “courage.” The term is often associated with a lack of fear, but many will argue that “courage” is more accurately described as acting in spite of fear.

7: Provide background information.

This is when your research about the etymology of a word will come in handy. Explain where the term originated and how it came to mean what it currently means.

Part 3 of 3: Definition Essay Structure

1: introduce the standard definition..

You need to clearly state what your word is along with its traditional or dictionary definition in your introductory paragraph.

• By opening with the dictionary definition of your term, you create context and a basic level of knowledge about the word. This will allow you to introduce and elaborate on your own definition.
• This is especially significant when the traditional definition of your term varies from your own definition in notable ways.

2: Define the term in your own words in your thesis.

Your actual thesis statement should define the term in your own words.

• Keep the definition in your thesis brief and basic. You will elaborate on it more in the body of your paper.
• Avoid using passive phrases involving the word “is” when defining your term. The phrases “is where” and “is when” are especially clunky. [6]
• Do not repeat part of the defined term in your definition.

3:  Separate different parts of the definition into separate paragraphs.

Each tactic or method used to define your term should be explored in a separate paragraph.

• Note that you do not need to use all the possible methods of defining a term in your essay. You should use a variety of different methods in order to create a full, well-rounded picture of the term, but some tactics will work great with some terms but not with others.

4: Conclude with a summary of your main points.

Briefly summarize your main points around the start of your concluding paragraph.

• This summary does not need to be elaborate. Usually, looking at the topic sentence of each body paragraph is a good way to form a simple list of your main points.
• You can also draw the essay to a close by referring to phrases or images evoked in your introduction.

5: Mention how the definition has affected you, if desired.

If the term you define plays a part in your own life and experiences, your final concluding remarks are a good place to briefly mention the role it plays.

• Relate your experience with the term to the definition you created for it in your thesis. Avoid sharing experiences that relate to the term but contradict everything you wrote in your essay.

Sources and Citations

• http://www.roanestate.edu/owl/Definition.html
• http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/friend?s=t
• http://www.etymonline.com/
• http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/definition.html
• http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/confrere?s=t
• http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/definition.htm
• How to Write a Definition Essay. Provided by : WikiHow. Located at : http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Definition-Essay . License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
• Table of Contents

Instructor Resources (Access Requires Login)

• Overview of Instructor Resources

An Overview of the Writing Process

• Introduction to the Writing Process
• Introduction to Writing
• Your Role as a Learner
• What is an Essay?
• Reading to Write
• Defining the Writing Process
• Videos: Prewriting Techniques
• Thesis Statements
• Organizing an Essay
• Creating Paragraphs
• Conclusions
• Editing and Proofreading
• Matters of Grammar, Mechanics, and Style
• Peer Review Checklist
• Comparative Chart of Writing Strategies

Using Sources

• Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Avoiding Plagiarism
• Formatting the Works Cited Page (MLA)
• Citing Paraphrases and Summaries (APA)
• APA Citation Style, 6th edition: General Style Guidelines

Definition Essay

• Definitional Argument Essay
• Critical Thinking
• Video: Thesis Explained
• Effective Thesis Statements
• Student Sample: Definition Essay

Narrative Essay

• Introduction to Narrative Essay
• Student Sample: Narrative Essay
• "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell
• "Sixty-nine Cents" by Gary Shteyngart
• Video: The Danger of a Single Story
• How to Write an Annotation
• How to Write a Summary
• Writing for Success: Narration

Illustration/Example Essay

• Introduction to Illustration/Example Essay
• "She's Your Basic L.O.L. in N.A.D" by Perri Klass
• "April & Paris" by David Sedaris
• Writing for Success: Illustration/Example
• Student Sample: Illustration/Example Essay

Compare/Contrast Essay

• Introduction to Compare/Contrast Essay
• "Disability" by Nancy Mairs
• "Friending, Ancient or Otherwise" by Alex Wright
• "A South African Storm" by Allison Howard
• Writing for Success: Compare/Contrast
• Student Sample: Compare/Contrast Essay

Cause-and-Effect Essay

• Introduction to Cause-and-Effect Essay
• "Cultural Baggage" by Barbara Ehrenreich
• "Women in Science" by K.C. Cole
• Writing for Success: Cause and Effect
• Student Sample: Cause-and-Effect Essay

Argument Essay

• Introduction to Argument Essay
• Rogerian Argument
• "The Case Against Torture," by Alisa Soloman
• "The Case for Torture" by Michael Levin
• How to Write a Summary by Paraphrasing Source Material
• Writing for Success: Argument
• Student Sample: Argument Essay
• Grammar/Mechanics Mini-lessons
• Mini-lesson: Subjects and Verbs, Irregular Verbs, Subject Verb Agreement
• Mini-lesson: Sentence Types
• Mini-lesson: Fragments I
• Mini-lesson: Run-ons and Comma Splices I
• Mini-lesson: Comma Usage
• Mini-lesson: Parallelism
• Mini-lesson: The Apostrophe
• Mini-lesson: Capital Letters
• Grammar Practice - Interactive Quizzes
• De Copia - Demonstration of the Variety of Language
• Style Exercise: Voice

• Share full article

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Guest Essay

I’m an Economist. Don’t Worry. Be Happy.

By Justin Wolfers

Mr. Wolfers is a professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan and a host of the “Think Like an Economist” podcast.

I, too, know that flash of resentment when grocery store prices feel like they don’t make sense. I hate the fact that a small treat now feels less like an earned indulgence and more like financial folly. And I’m concerned about my kids now that house prices look like telephone numbers.

But I breathe through it. And I remind myself of the useful perspective that my training as an economist should bring. Sometimes it helps, so I want to share it with you.

Simple economic logic suggests that neither your well-being nor mine depends on the absolute magnitude of the numbers on a price sticker.

To see this, imagine falling asleep and waking up years later to discover that every price tag has an extra zero on it. A gumball costs $2.50 instead of a quarter; the dollar store is the $10 store; and a coffee is $50. The 10-dollar bill in your wallet is now $100; and your bank statement has transformed $800 of savings into $8,000.

Importantly, the price that matters most to you — your hourly pay rate — is also 10 times as high.

What has actually changed in this new world of inflated price tags? The world has a lot more zeros in it, but nothing has really changed.

That’s because the currency that really matters is how many hours you have to work to afford your groceries, a small treat, or a home, and none of these real trade-offs have changed.

This fairy tale — with some poetic license — is roughly the story of our recent inflation. The pandemic-fueled inflationary impulse didn’t add an extra zero to every price tag, but it did something similar.

The same inflationary forces that pushed these prices higher have also pushed wages to be 22 percent higher than on the eve of the pandemic. Official statistics show that the stuff that a typical American buys now costs 20 percent more over the same period. Some prices rose a little more, some a little less, but they all roughly rose in parallel.

It follows that the typical worker can now afford two percent more stuff. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s a faster rate of improvement than the average rate of real wage growth over the past few decades .

Of course, these are population averages, and they may not reflect your reality. Some folks really are struggling. But in my experience, many folks feel that they’re falling behind, even when a careful analysis of the numbers suggests they’re not.

That’s because real people — and yes, even professional economists — tend to process the parallel rise of prices and wages in quite different ways. In brief, researchers have found that we tend to internalize the gains due to inflation and externalize the losses. These different processes yield different emotional responses.

Let’s start with higher prices. Sticker shock hurts. Even as someone who closely studies the inflation statistics, I’m still often surprised by higher prices. They feel unfair. They undermine my spending power, and my sense of control and order.

But in reality, higher prices are only the first act of the inflationary play. It’s a play that economists have seen before. In episode after episode, surges in prices have led to — or been preceded by — a proportional surge in wages.

Even though wages tend to rise hand-in-hand with prices, we tell ourselves a different story, in which the wage rises we get have nothing to do with price rises that cause them.

I know that when I ripped open my annual review letter and learned that I had gotten a larger raise than normal, it felt good. For a moment, I believed that my boss had really seen me and finally valued my contribution.

But then my economist brain took over, and slowly it sunk in that my raise wasn’t a reward for hard work, but rather a cost-of-living adjustment.

Internalizing the gain and externalizing the cost of inflation protects you from this deflating realization. But it also distorts your sense of reality.

The reason so many Americans feel that inflation is stealing their purchasing power is that they give themselves unearned credit for the offsetting wage rises that actually restore it.

Those who remember the Great Inflation of the ’60s, ’70s and early ’80s have lived through many cycles of prices rising and wages following. They understand the deal: Inflation makes life more difficult for a bit, but you’re only ever one cost-of-living adjustment away from catching up.

But younger folks — anyone under 60 — had never experienced sustained inflation rates greater than 5 percent in their adult lives. And I think this explains why they’re so angry about today’s inflation.

They haven’t seen this play before, and so they don’t know that when Act I involves higher prices, Act II usually sees wages rising to catch up. If you didn’t know there was an Act II coming, you might leave the theater at intermission, thinking you just saw a show about big corporations exploiting a pandemic to take your slice of the economic pie.

By this telling, decades of low inflation have left several generations ill equipped to deal with its return.

While older Americans understood that the pain of inflation is transitory, younger folks aren’t so sure. Inflation is a lot scarier when you fear that today’s price rises will permanently undermine your ability to make ends meet.

Perhaps this explains why the recent moderate burst of inflation has created seemingly more anxiety than previous inflationary episodes.

More generally, being an economist makes me an optimist. Social media is awash with (false) claims that we’re in a “ silent depression ,” and those who want to make American great again are certain it was once so much better.

But in reality, our economy this year is larger, more productive and will yield higher average incomes than in any prior year on record in American history. And because the United States is the world’s richest major economy, we can now say that we are almost certainly part of the richest large society in its richest year in the history of humanity.

The income of the average American will double approximately every 39 years. And so when my kids are my age, average income will be roughly double what it is today. Far from being fearful for my kids, I’m envious of the extraordinary riches their generation will enjoy.

Psychologists describe anxiety disorders as occurring when the panic you feel is out of proportion to the danger you face. By this definition, we’re in the midst of a macroeconomic anxiety attack.

And so the advice I give as an economist mirrors that I would give were I your therapist: Breathe through that anxiety, and remember that this, too, shall pass.

Justin Wolfers is a professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan and a host of the “Think Like an Economist” podcast.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

Follow the New York Times Opinion section on Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , WhatsApp , X and Threads .

What is Good Friday? What the holy day means for Christians around the world

Christians around the world observe Good Friday two days before Easter, but what is it, and why do they commemorate the holy day?

The holiday is part of Holy Week, which leads up to Easter Sunday. Palm Sunday kicks off the series of Christian holy days that commemorate the Crucifixion and celebrate Jesus Christ's resurrection.

"Good Friday has been, for centuries now, the heart of the Christian message because it is through the death of Jesus Christ that Christians believe that we have been forgiven of our sins," Daniel Alvarez, an associate teaching professor of religious studies at Florida International University, told USA TODAY.

What is Holy Saturday? What the day before Easter means for Christians around the world

When is Good Friday?

Good Friday is always the Friday before Easter. It's the second-to-last day of Holy Week.

In 2024, Good Friday will fall on March 29.

What is Good Friday?

Good Friday is the day Christ was sacrificed on the cross. According to Britannica , it is a day for "sorrow, penance, and fasting."

"Good Friday is part of something else," Gabriel Radle, an assistant professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame, previously told USA TODAY. "It's its own thing, but it's also part of something bigger."

Are Good Friday and Passover related?

Alvarez says that Good Friday is directly related to the Jewish holiday, Passover.

Passover , or Pesach, is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt.

"The whole Christian idea of atoning for sin, that Jesus is our atonement, is strictly derived from the Jewish Passover tradition," said Alvarez.

How is that possible?

According to the professor, Passover celebrates the day the "Angel of Death" passed over the homes of Israelites who were enslaved by the Egyptians. He said that the Bible states when the exodus happened, families were told to paint their doors with lamb's blood so that God would spare the lives of their firstborn sons.

Alvarez says this is why Christians call Jesus the "lamb of God." He adds that the symbolism of the "blood of the lamb" ties the two stories together and is why Christians believe God sacrificed his firstborn son. Because, through his blood, humanity is protected from the "wrath of a righteous God that cannot tolerate sin."

He adds that the stories of the exodus and the Crucifixion not only further tie the stories together but also emphasize just how powerful the sacrifice of the firstborn and the shedding of blood are in religion.

"Jesus is the firstborn, so the whole idea of the death of the firstborn is crucial," said Alvarez.

He adds that the sacrifice of the firstborn, specifically a firstborn son, comes from an ancient and "primitive" idea that the sacrifice unleashes "tremendous power that is able to fend off any kind of force, including the wrath of God."

Why Is Good Friday so somber?

Alavarez says people might think this holiday is more depressing or sad than others because of how Catholics commemorate the Crucifixion.

"I think [it's] to a level that some people might think is morbid," said Alvarez.

He said Catholics not only meditate on Jesus' death, but primarily focus on the suffering he faced in the events that led up to his Crucifixion. That's what makes it such a mournful day for people.

But, the professor says that Jesus' suffering in crucial to Christianity as a whole.

"The suffering of Christ is central to the four Gospels," said Alvarez. "Everything else is incidental."

According to the professor, statues that use blood to emphasize the way Jesus and Catholic saints suffered is very common in Spanish and Hispanic Countries, but not as prevalent in American churches.

Do you fast on Good Friday?

Father Dustin Dought, the executive director of the Secretariat of Divine Worship of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, previously told USA TODAY that Good Friday and Ash Wednesday are the two days in the year that Roman Catholics are obliged to fast.

"This practice is a way of emptying ourselves so that we can be filled with God," said Dought.

What do you eat on Good Friday?

Many Catholics do not eat meat on any Friday during Lent. Anything with flesh is off-limits. Dought says this practice is to honor the way Jesus sacrificed his flesh on Good Friday.

Meat that is off limits includes:

Instead, many Catholics will eat fish. According to the Marine Stewardship Council , this is allowed because fish is considered to be a different type of flesh.

Contributing: Jordan Mendoza ; USA TODAY