DefinedTerm
A word, name, acronym, phrase, etc. with a formal definition. Often used in the context of category or subject classification, glossaries or dictionaries, product or creative work types, etc. Use the name property for the term being defined, use termCode if the term has an alpha-numeric code allocated, use description to provide the definition of the term. Use the about property to specify what the term is about.
- Kind of
- Intangible
- Properties
- 3 of its own14 more from Thing
- Subtypes
- Category
Code 2 counting theirs - Source
- Schema.org 30.1
Properties
3 of its own, and 14 it inherits. Each says what kind of value it takes.
| Property | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| about | Value: Thing | The subject matter of an object. |
| in | Value: Defined | A DefinedTermSet that contains this term. |
| term | Value: Text | A code that identifies this DefinedTerm within a DefinedTermSet. |
| Property | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| additional | Value: Text or URL | An additional type for the item, typically used for adding more specific types from external vocabularies in microdata syntax. This is a relationship between something and a class that the thing is in. Typically the value is a URI-identified RDF class, and in this case corresponds to the use of rdf:type in RDF. Text values can be used sparingly, for cases where useful information can be added without their being an appropriate schema to reference. In the case of text values, the class label should follow the schema.org style guide. |
| alternate | Value: Text | An alias for the item. |
| description | Value: Text or Text | A description of the item. |
| digital.org.ai | Value: Number | Digital maturity score from 0.0 (fully analog/manual) to 1.0 (fully digital/autonomous). Indicates the degree to which an entity operates digitally. |
| disambiguating | Value: Text | A sub property of description. A short description of the item used to disambiguate from other, similar items. Information from other properties (in particular, name) may be necessary for the description to be useful for disambiguation. |
| identifier | Value: Property | The identifier property represents any kind of identifier for any kind of Thing, such as ISBNs, GTIN codes, UUIDs etc. Schema.org provides dedicated properties for representing many of these, either as textual strings or as URL (URI) links. See background notes for more details. |
| image | Value: Image | An image of the item. This can be a URL or a fully described ImageObject. |
| main | Value: Creative | Indicates a page (or other CreativeWork) for which this thing is the main entity being described. See background notes for details. |
| name | Value: Text | The name of the item. |
| owner | Value: Organization or Person | A person or organization who owns this Thing. |
| potential | Value: Action | Indicates a potential Action, which describes an idealized action in which this thing would play an 'object' role. |
| same | Value: URL | URL of a reference Web page that unambiguously indicates the item's identity. E.g. the URL of the item's Wikipedia page, Wikidata entry, or official website. |
| subject | Value: Creative | A CreativeWork or Event about this Thing. |
| url | Value: URL | URL of the item. |
Subtypes
Category
Where it is a value
37 properties take a Defined
- assesseson 3 types
- biological
Role on BioChem Entity - certification
Identification on Certification - chemical
Role on ChemicalSubstance and Molecular Entity - competency
Required on EducationalOccupational Credential and Learning Resource - creative
Work on CreativeStatus Work - credential
Category on Credential - educational
Level on 4 types - educational
Use on CreativeWork and Learning Resource - error
Code on Error - expressed
In on Gene - financial
Aid on Course and EducationalEligible Occupational Program - genreon 3 types
- has
Defined on DefinedTerm Term Set and Taxon - has
Molecular on BioFunction Chem Entity - incentivized
Item on FinancialIncentive - industryon Job
Posting - is
Involved on BioIn Biological Process Chem Entity - is
Located on BioIn Subcellular Location Chem Entity - job
Title on Person - keywordson 5 types
- learning
Resource on CreativeType Work and Learning Resource - measurement
Method on 6 types - measurement
Technique on 6 types - patternon Creative
Work and Product - physical
Requirement on JobPosting - potential
Use on ChemicalSubstance and Molecular Entity - program
Type on EducationalOccupational Program - pronounson Person
- sensory
Requirement on JobPosting - sizeon Creative
Work and Product - skillson 4 types
- substance
Of on ProductConcern - taxonomic
Range on BioChem Entity - teacheson 3 types
- value
Reference on 3 types - varies
By on ProductGroup
Where this comes from
Quoted from Schema.org, and credited. Nothing in this definition is written by us.
- Published bySchema.orgschema.org/Defined
Term - ReleaseVersion 30.116 September 2026
- Proposed in
- LicenseCC BY-SA 3.0Free to copy and adapt, with credit, under the same licence
- Changed by usNothing.
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