> The kind of [[Definition|definition]] that pins a term down by its *meaning in words*. ^definition The properties a thing must have - rather than by pointing at an example or listing every case. > A dog is a four-legged domesticated canid that barks. ^example This is the written form of a [[Definition|definition]]: it can be put in an email and handed to someone - or something - not in the room, which is why it is the one mode an [[AI agent|agent]] can consume directly.[^1][^2] [^1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intension [^2]: https://donaldrobertson.name/2026/03/17/how-to-use-semantics-to-manage-emotions/