Editing Fallacies of definition (section)

== Obscurity ==
Definitions can go wrong by using [[ambiguous]], obscure, or [[figurative language]]. This can lead to circular definitions. Definitions should be defined in the most prosaic form of language to be understood, as failure to elucidate provides fallacious definitions.<ref name="the-logical-fallacies"/> Figurative language can also be misinterpreted. For example, ''golden eyes'' in a biography may lead the reader to think that the person was fictional.

An example of obscurity is [[Samuel Johnson]]'s definition for [[oat]]s: "A grain, which in [[England]] is generally given to horses, but in [[Scotland]] supports the people."<ref name=oats>{{citation|last=Johnson|first= Samuel|entry= Oats|title= A Dictionary of the English Language|year=1755|url= http://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/?p=3471}}</ref> The thing defined (oats) should be pointed out rather than remain obscure.