How to Prepare a Definition

Definitions should:

• Not be word for word
• Resemble what the average reasonable topic would think the topic means
• Explain what your team wants to include and exclude from the topic
• Set a time and place if necessary (in almost all cases this should be the here and now)

Step 1 – What needs to be defined?

What are the key words in the topic?
Are there any words that are complex, confusing or that have multiple meanings?
Use these questions to paraphrase the original wording of the topic.

Step 2 – Is our definition obvious?

It might be tempting to develop a sneaky definition that makes it harder for your opposition to make a case. Don’t do this! It is okay to narrow a topic (schools to secondary schools or schools in Victoria), but debating is all about making arguments, so if you try to avoid a debate, your adjudicator will look unfavourably upon your approach.

Step 3 – Where is this issue happening/trending/important?

This will allow you to consider where to set the debate, and what to include and exclude.

Example: “That we should ban junk food in schools”

The words which are vague and may need definition are: we, junk food, and, schools. The words in the topic like ‘that’, ‘should’, ‘ban’ and ‘in’ don’t require definition as they are not the issues of contention.

• Defining ‘we’ says who or where the topic applies (Australia, Victoria, the world).
• Defining ‘schools’ says what is being impacted \- is it primary, secondary schools, or both?
• Defining ‘junk food’ notes the subject, and can be used to include certain foods, or exclude certain foods.

However, as there is a common sense understanding of what junk food is, it can be fine to just say ‘junk food’ if the affirmative team wants to, but they can specify fatty or high sugar foods if they think it better serves their case.