type-token distinction
The 'type-token distinction' differentiates between general concepts and their specific instances, playing a vital role in philosophy, linguistics, and logic.
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Definition
C2Philosophy and Linguistics
(technical, academic)A difference between a general concept or category and its specific occurrences or instances.
Example
- The concept of 'tree' is a type, while each individual tree is a token.
- In the phrase 'a cat is a cat is a cat,' the word 'cat' is one type with three tokens.