Through this assignment, we shall learn that often words have precise meanings a

Through this assignment, we shall learn that often words have precise meanings and that an important goal in communication is to ensure that your audience will accept your definition of the word or idea.
Select a word that suggests a complex idea (referring to a human emotion or value or ideal or principle). Your task is to review the various definitions that are current and persuade the reader of one particular meaning that you believe in or have accepted. Give reasons and evidence to support your definition. The evidence is to be drawn primarily from history or contemporary society and will therefore require research. Follow the usual procedures for writing research-based papers (proper documentation according to the MLA guidelines and a Works Cited page etc.). You are to inform and persuade the reader of the true meaning of the word. Simply providing a clear definition of the word is not sufficient. By explaining the chief qualities of the word, you will illuminate the nature of the word and provide an insight into human nature or the nature of our society. After all, the true meaning of a word, as I have explained in class, is revealed not in dictionaries but in real life in society—in the actual lives of ordinary people.
In order to complete the essay, you should conduct some basic research on the word according to the following guidelines:
1. Consult a regular dictionary for the meaning(s) of the word.
2. Consult the Oxford English Dictionary (OED).
3. Review and discuss one synonym and one antonym of the word.
4. Review the etymology or the background of the word. Consult a technical dictionary or encyclopedia, if necessary.
5. Gather a few detailed examples from real life and discuss them to illustrate the meaning of the word that you have selected.
6. Carefully consider the purpose of the essay and incorporate this sense of purpose into your essay.

The information that you gather about your word or idea according to the above guidelines should be included in your essay. Like any college-level essay, this one should have a clear thesis statement, relevant and specific evidence in support of the thesis, clear organization. Pay attention to your introduction and conclusion.