This is a documentation subpage for Template:Definition.
It may contain usage information, categories and other content that is not part of the original template page.

This template is a self-reference and so is part of the Wikipedia project rather than the encyclopedic content.

Purpose

This inline template should be used in articles where words are used in a way where their intended meaning is ambiguous.

Example

((Definition|date=February 2024))

This produces:

^{[when defined as?]}

This template will add the article tagged to Category:Wikipedia articles needing clarification or a monthly subcategory thereof.

((Definition needed)) – when a statement or a term completely lacks definition
((Disambiguation needed)) – for the special case where the term needing clarification is wikilinked to a disambiguation page, and you are unable to find a suitable replacement link.
((Ambiguous)) – for ambiguous statements
((Clarify)) – for other text that is difficult to understand
((Non sequitur)) – for when someone or something has been mentioned for reasons unclear to the reader
((Which one)) for text which could refer to one of numerous people or items but which is not linked to a disambiguation page.

Inline cleanup tags

Attribution

Clarity

Miscellaneous

Neutrality

Precision

((By how much)) ((Definition)) ((Definition needed)) ((Example needed)) ((Example needed span)) ((Explain)) ((How)) ((How often)) ((Misquoted)) ((Quantify)) ((Specify)) ((Vague)) ((When)) ((Where)) ((Which)) ((Who else)) ((Why)) ((Year needed))
Excessive	((Duplication span)) ((Importance inline)) ((Relevance inline)) ((Undue weight inline)) ((Globalize inline))

Time-sensitivity

Verifiability

Dubious	((Contradictory inline)) ((Disputed inline)) ((Dubious)) ((Dubious span)) ((Inconsistent)) ((Needs independent confirmation)) ((Speculation inline))
Bare URLs	((Bare URL inline)) ((Bare URL non-HTML)) ((Bare URL AV media)) ((Bare URL PDF)) ((Bare URL image)) ((Bare URL DOC)) ((Bare URL plain text)) ((Bare URL spreadsheet))
Incomplete or broken citation	((Author incomplete)) ((Author missing)) ((Date missing)) ((Dead link)) ((Edition needed)) ((Episode needed)) ((Full citation needed)) ((Incomplete short citation)) ((ISBN missing)) ((Moved resource)) ((Page needed)) ((Place missing)) ((Publisher missing)) ((Season needed)) ((Time needed)) ((Title incomplete)) ((Title missing)) ((Volume needed)) ((Year missing))
Missing or problematic reference	((Additional citation needed)) ((Better source needed)) ((Better source needed example)) ((Check quotation)) ((Chronology citation needed)) ((Citation needed)) ((Citation needed span)) ((Citation not found)) ((Close paraphrasing inline)) ((COI source)) ((Deprecated inline)) ((Excessive citations inline)) ((Failed verification)) ((Failed verification span)) ((Image reference needed)) ((Irrelevant citation)) ((Medical citation needed)) ((Medical citation needed span)) ((Nonspecific)) ((Not verified in body)) ((Obsolete source)) ((Page range too broad)) ((Primary source inline)) ((Promotional source)) ((Quote without source)) ((Request quotation)) ((Request quotation span)) ((Retracted)) ((Scientific citation needed)) ((Self-published inline)) ((Tertiary source inline)) ((Third-party inline)) ((Unreliable fringe source)) ((Unreliable medical source)) ((Unreliable source?)) ((Verify quote)) ((Verify source))

Wording

General advice

Use ((Definition)) in the body of an article as a request for other editors to add further explanation to text that assumes a particular meaning of a word.

Template parameters
Parameter		Description	Type	Status
Reason	`1` `reason`	A brief reason for the tag. Because it may not be immediately apparent to other editors what about the tagged passage is in need of further explanation, a brief reason is generally helpful. The reason parameter displays when the mouse cursor is placed over the text the template inserts. Default The preceding text may be too imprecise or indirect for Wikipedia's standards. Auto value	String	suggested
Date	`date`	An optional date parameter that records when the tag was added. If this template is added without the date parameter, the date parameter will be added soon after by a [[WP:BOT\|bot]]. Auto value `((subst:CURRENTMONTHNAME)) ((subst:CURRENTYEAR))`	Date	required

More

Purpose

Example

See also