Define in IB Economics

What your response needs

Term = category + distinguishing feature.

• The category the term belongs to
• Its distinguishing economic feature
• No circular wording

A worked economics example

Question: Define opportunity cost.

An incomplete response: It is what something costs.

A more complete response:

Opportunity cost is the value of the next best alternative forgone when a choice is made.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Repeating the term in the definition
• Giving an example without defining it

Try it yourself

Read the question and its mark allocation before deciding how much detail to include. A response structure helps you organise your answer; it is not a script to memorise.

Practise define · choose a unit and paper

Compare command terms and assessment objectives · Using Econograms in class

More command term guides

About this guidance

These explanations and examples are original Econograms study guidance. They are not official IB questions or markschemes, and Econograms is not endorsed by the International Baccalaureate. Follow the wording and requirements of the question set by your teacher or examination.