Schema.org DefinedTerm type · Defined term
DefinedTerm is a Schema.org type that describes a term and its definition. It is the reference type for an individual glossary page: it ties the term’s name, its description and the term set (DefinedTermSet) it belongs to.
Standalone definition · 37 words
How does DefinedTerm work?
The type is written in JSON-LD on the term page. Its main properties are name, description, url, termCode and inDefinedTermSet, which points to the parent glossary. The alternateName and sameAs properties declare synonyms and external references, such as a Wikipedia page.
Why use DefinedTerm for GEO?
Google documents no rich result for this type. The value is disambiguation: the markup states unambiguously that a page defines a term, which helps extraction by systems that read markup. It must reflect the visible content of the page.
How do you implement it correctly?
One DefinedTerm per page, a description identical or close to the displayed definition, an inDefinedTermSet link to the hub and a stable @id. Combine it with a FAQPage or an Article in the same @graph if the page has one. Validate with the Schema.org validator.
Frequently asked questions
Does DefinedTerm trigger a rich result?
No, Google documents no rich result for this type.
What is the difference with DefinedTermSet?
DefinedTerm describes one term, DefinedTermSet describes the set. The first serves term pages, the second the hub.
Can you declare several definitions on one page?
One main definition per page is enough. Several terms on one page are grouped in a DefinedTermSet.
Related terms
Further reading
- Checklist GEO and LLM / AI 2026
- 2026 GEO Tools Comparison: The Decision Guide
- ← Back to the GEO glossary (114 terms)