definition essay about pride

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• National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Pride and Social Status
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pride , in human psychology, a feeling of pleasure related to self-worth and often derived from personal achievements or talents, desirable possessions, or membership in an ethnic, religious, gender, social, political, or professional community or organization, among other associations. Pride can be related to feelings of self-respect, confidence, satisfaction, and self-worth. When one has some level of admiration for other people or groups with whom one has some connection or affiliation—such as friends or relatives, fellow community members, or hometown sports teams—one can be said to be proud of them. People who boast about their own achievements or some aspect of themselves, such as their physical appearance (excessive pride in which can be thought of as vanity), are said to have too much pride, or to be prideful. In that sense, pride can be related to conceit.

Throughout history community leaders and government officials have encouraged national, regional, or cultural pride for various purposes, such as encouraging a reform movement or furthering a war effort. Many groups and grassroots efforts, especially those involving marginalized members of society, have gained momentum by instilling or fostering a strong sense of pride and identity in its participants. See also Gay Pride .

Religious and philosophical views concerning pride are varied. In the New Testament the Gospel According to Matthew 5:16 relates one of the teachings of Jesus: “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” In contrast, in the Laws , an earlier dialogue by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato (428/427–348/347 bce ), an unnamed Athenian visitor, who presumably represents the views of Plato himself, asserts that “the excessive love of self is in reality the source to each man of all offenses.”

Healthy pride in one’s accomplishments or social groups is distinct from the Christian sin of pride , which is also known as “vainglory.” In Roman Catholic theology , an excess of pride is one of the seven deadly sins (vices that spur other sins and further immoral behaviour), enumerated by St. Gregory the Great ( Pope Gregory I) in the 6th century and elaborated upon in the 13th century by the theologian and philosopher St. Thomas Aquinas .

Likely because pride as an experience or attitude can be either positive or negative, the term has a variety of meanings in several common idioms , such as:

• “Pride comes before a fall”—an adaptation of Proverbs 16:18 from the Hebrew Bible ( Old Testament ), which reads, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall”: excessive pride can lead to serious errors of judgment with profoundly harmful consequences.
• “To swallow one’s pride”: to effectively relinquish one’s dignity and to be unnaturally humble in pursuit of some form of help.
• “Pride of place”: the placement of an object in the highest or first position within an arrangement of other objects, in recognition of the relative importance of that which the object represents.
• “Wounded pride”: a sense of shame or a loss of self-respect.

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Characteristics of Pride

• Categories: Pride

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Published: Jun 13, 2024

Words: 819 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Table of contents

Psychological dimensions of pride, social and interpersonal aspects of pride, cultural variations of pride, transformative potential of pride.

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How To Write a Definition Essay Outline?

26 May, 2020

11 minutes read

Author:  Tomas White

Defining a concept or a notion in the form of an essay is quite common among the students. This is one of the classic assignments young people get at colleges and universities. Its creation starts with crafting an outline. And even though they often face the necessity to deal with this task, not all students know how to write a definition essay outline. We have written this guide that will explain the process in details. So, if you're looking for a clear explanation of what an outline for such an essay looks like, search no more: it's all here!

 What is a Definition Essay?

A definition essay works to provide the nitty-gritty details about a word or concept.  For example, in an art class, you may be asked to write a definition essay on Vermillion (a vivid reddish-orange color) or Cubism, a specific approach to creating art.  A definition essay should always focus on a complex subject; simple subjects won’t provide enough details to adequately write an essay.  While the subject may change, the structure of an essay remains the same. All definition essays should include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Related posts: How to write an Essay outline  | How to write an Essay introduction  

Types of Definition Essays

Professors often assign definition essays towards the beginning of a class. The focus of this type of essay is to explore a specific concept.  These concepts are often divided into one of three categories:

Abstract Concepts

In this type of essay, the assignment explores how to fully define a difficult topic. By definition, an abstract concept is one that is vast and complicated. Examples of abstract concepts include liberty, ambition, love, hate, generosity, and pride. The focus of the essay should be to break down the concept into more manageable parts for the audience.

Definition essays that focus on a place tend to explore a specific type of place and how you as the writer view this particular place. Types of places which may be assigned are a country, state, city, neighborhood, park, house, or a room. The place may be huge or small. A key to writing a good definition essay focused on the place is to select a specific place you are familiar with; it shouldn’t be a place you need to research — it should be a place that you know intimately.

An Adjective

An adjective essay focuses on creating a definition for an adjective. Common topics may include describing a “good” or “bad” friend, present, or law. The focus of the essay should explore the qualities and characteristics of a good friend or a bad present.

“I need someone to write my essay!” – That’s something we hear a lot. The good news is that you are in the right place to find help. HandMadeWriting is the best essay writing service on the web.

Perfecting the Definition Essay Outline – and Beyond!

Before sitting down to write a definition essay, you’ll need to make out all the parts to the whole.  In other words, how, exactly, will you define the subject of the essay?  You’ll need to consider all the different parts, or the gears, that make the clockwork.  Once you’ve brainstormed the parts, you’re ready to create an outline, and then write some paragraphs.

The outline for this essay is as easy as in five paragraph essay – it contains an introduction , body paragraphs , and a conclusion . The number of body paragraphs is determined by how many aspects you’re subject needs defined.  This type of essay is exactly what it sounds like: it works to define a specific word or concept.

Take Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s advice when writing:  “Never say more than is necessary.”

So, here is what constitutes the outline of the definition essay:

Introduction Paragraph

An introduction paragraph should act as a gateway to the subject of the definition essay.  Use this paragraph to gently introduce the subject, and gain the reader’s interest.

This paragraph should begin with an attention grabber  (the “hook”) that makes the reader curious and want to read more.  Quotations are always a great idea as are interesting facts.  Next, provide background details that the reader will need to understand the concept or idea to be defined in the body paragraphs.

Unlike other papers, like cause and effect essay , the definition essay is unique in that it requires the writer to provide the dictionary definition of the word, and then the thesis definition .  Since dictionary definitions are often dry and narrow, the thesis definition is your opportunity truly encompass the complexity of the word.

Body Paragraphs

Each body paragraph should focus on a different aspect that contributes to the overall definition of the subject being discussed in the definition essay.

A definition essay typically contains three body paragraphs, although there can be more if the writer desires.  The first body paragraph delves into the origin of the word and how it became mainstreamed into the language.  This paragraph can talk about any root words, prefixes, and/or suffixes in the word, as well as the evolution of the word (if there is one).

The second body paragraph should focus on the dictionary definition, and how the word can be used in writing and conversation.  For example, love can appear as several different parts of speech; it can be a noun, verb, or adjective.

The third body paragraph, and often the longest one, should focus on conveying the writer’s definition of the word.  This definition should be based on both the writer’s personal experience as well as research.

Don’t be afraid to be bold – describe this word in a way that no one else has!  Be original; describe the word as a color or animal, and defend your choice.  Provide examples of the word in action and maintain the reader’s engagement at all costs.  Aim for sentences like this:

Quixotic describes the eternal quest of optimistic individuals striving to find the magical, the visionary, the idealistic experiences in life despite all obstacles and naysayers.

This exists as an excellent sentence because it provides clues as to the type of word quixotic is by pairing it with magical, visionary, and idealistic.  By stating that it’s a word optimistic individuals would gravitate towards, the audience inherently understands it’s more positive than negative.

Indeed, the third body paragraph should focus on communicating the writer’s comprehension of the concept, idea or term.

Conclusion Paragraph

Just because this is the shortest paragraph, doesn’t mean that it will be the easiest to write.  In fact, the better the body paragraphs are, the easier writing the conclusion paragraph will be.

Because a good conclusion paragraph reiterates the main points stated in each body paragraph.  If the body paragraphs are clear and avoid rambling, pulling the main ideas for the conclusion will be easy!  Just remember: you don’t want to repeat yourself word for word, but you do want to echo your main ideas; so summarize yourself instead of copy and pasting.

Many professors may create the definition essay as a personal writing assignment.  If this is the case, then it would be appropriate to also discuss what the word or concept means personally to you.  Select an example in your own life and validate your descriptions of the word.

Definition Essay Outline Example

Once you got the concept of your future essay wrapped up, it’s time to put things to the practice and create an outline. Here is what your outline might look like. Our topic is:   Love .

Be sure to check the sample essay, completed by our writers. Use it as an example to write your own argumentative essay. Link:  Essay sample: Team Norms and Procedures .

Tips on Writing a Definition Essay from Our Experts

Need some advice from our pro essay writer ? We’ve got you covered.  Here are some great tips on how to write an A-level definition essay:

• When writing a definition essay, keep the sentences simple when you can ; however, occasionally, you’ll need to create longer, more descriptive sentences.  Consider juxtaposing short sentences with longer ones to maintain reader interest.
• Incorporate literary devices when trying to define an abstract word or concept. Check out this example:  Love is a campfire on a chilly November evening.  Its warmth glides over your entire being, from the top of your head to the tips of your toes – but watch out: get too close, and you’ll catch fire and burn.
• Stuck on deciding on a topic? If you get to select your own topic, remember that selecting an abstract topic is best : love, forgiveness, contentment, or hero are all great options.  Don’t fall into the trap of selecting a topic with too many aspects to define such as the history of man.
• Select a topic that allows plenty of original description – that’s the goal: to describe a concept in such a way that hasn’t been done before. Be original:  state the history and the original of the word and then delve into your perception of it.
• Finally, begin early .  Create an outline to help organize your idea, and then begin the research process to determine the origin of the word as well as its evolution.  Consider answering such questions as who created the word (Did you know Shakespeare coined the words lonely and majestic?), how it has evolved, and whether it has multiple parts of speech.  The more questions you answer, the more definition will be put into your essay! Visit our Guide page to learn more about academic paper writing!

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Definition of pride

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Definition of pride  (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

• pridefulness
• self-esteem
• self-regard
• self-respect

Examples of pride in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pride.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Middle English, from Old English prȳde , from prūd proud — more at proud

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing pride

• badge of honor / pride
• be puffed (up) with pride
• matter of pride
• pride and joy
• pride of place
• pride oneself on
• puff (up) with pride
• self - pride
• Swallow your pride
• take pride in

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Dictionary Entries Near pride

Cite this entry.

“Pride.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pride. Accessed 27 Sep. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of pride.

Kids Definition of pride  (Entry 2 of 2)

Biographical Definition

Biographical name, definition of pride, more from merriam-webster on pride.

Nglish: Translation of pride for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of pride for Arabic Speakers

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Word Through The times

A Word That Became a Point of Pride

This June, we explored the evolution of the word “pride” and how it became connected with the modern gay rights movement.

By Sarah Diamond

In Word Through The Times, we trace how one word or phrase has changed throughout the history of the newspaper.

In a 1940 review of the film “Pride and Prejudice,” the New York Times critic Bosley Crowther wrote, “Laurence Olivier is Darcy, that’s all there is to it — the arrogant, sardonic Darcy whose pride went before a most felicitous fall.”

Basically: Mr. Darcy thought quite highly of himself. The word “pride” originally had a negative connotation, in which a person exhibiting pride had an “unduly high opinion of oneself,” according to the Webster’s New World College Dictionary. (Pride is also the first of the seven deadly sins .)

Despite its connection with arrogance, the word is now often used to express that someone has a reasonable level of confidence, per the Merriam-Webster dictionary. One can feel pride in a personal accomplishment, another person or a city or country. For example, in 1863, a Times article called Central Park “the pride of New-York.”

During the civil rights and gay rights movements of the 1960s and ’70s, “pride” experienced a significant transformation. On June 29, 1969, The Times wrote about a police raid the previous day at a gay bar in the West Village; the article, headlined “4 Policemen Hurt in ‘Village’ Raid ,” was less than one column long. Of course, the event is now known as the uprising at the Stonewall Inn, a moment that brought on the modern gay rights movement.

On June 28, 1970, thousands of people marched 50 blocks of New York City in honor of the first anniversary of Stonewall. A Times article described the event, which is now considered the country’s first Pride parade , and quoted Michael Brown, a founder of the Gay Liberation Front . “We have to come out into the open and stop being ashamed,” he said, adding, “This march is an affirmation and declaration of our new pride.” Michael Kotis, the president of the Mattachine Society, one of the country’s earliest gay rights organizations, was quoted as saying, “The gay people have discovered their potential strength and gained a new pride.” The crowd chanted, “Say it loud, gay is proud.”

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