DefinedTerm Schema
Definition
DefinedTerm is a schema.org markup type built to identify a word, name, or phrase along with its formal definition, the exact use case a glossary page like this one represents. Its companion type, DefinedTermSet, groups related terms into a single vocabulary or classification system, and each DefinedTerm can point back to its parent set through the inDefinedTermSet property.
The type carries a small, specific set of properties: name for the term itself, description for its definition, and termCode, an optional identifier useful when a term belongs to a formal classification, such as an industry code or a taxonomy entry. This is markup for structured data purposes only: it does not need to appear anywhere in the visible page copy to be valid schema markup.
DefinedTerm is narrower and more specific than general Schema Markup practice: where a FAQPage or Article schema describes a whole page's structure, DefinedTerm identifies a single concept and its definition as a distinct, citable entity, closer in spirit to how Entity SEO treats named concepts as first-class objects rather than as plain text.
For a glossary built to be cited by AI engines, this matters because a clearly marked-up DefinedTerm gives a model an unambiguous, structured signal for what the term is and what its formal definition says, separate from the surrounding prose that may include examples, FAQs, or related-term links. Confirming this kind of markup is implemented correctly, and actually resolves in the page's rendered HTML rather than being lost in a template, is part of what BotRank's technical audits check.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need DefinedTerm schema for a glossary page to be cited by AI engines?
It is not strictly required: AI engines can and do extract definitions from well-written plain text. DefinedTerm schema makes the extraction more reliable and unambiguous by explicitly labeling which text on the page is the formal definition, which reduces the chance a model mis-parses a definition buried in surrounding prose.
What is the difference between DefinedTerm and DefinedTermSet?
DefinedTerm represents a single word, name, or phrase along with its definition. DefinedTermSet represents the collection that groups related DefinedTerm entries together, such as an entire glossary or a formal classification system. A DefinedTerm links back to its DefinedTermSet through the <code>inDefinedTermSet</code> property.
How is DefinedTerm different from FAQPage or Article schema?
FAQPage and Article schema describe the structure of an entire page, its questions and answers, or its headline and body. DefinedTerm is narrower: it identifies one specific concept and its formal definition as a distinct entity, which is closer to how <a href="/glossary/entity-seo">Entity SEO</a> treats a concept as a citable object rather than plain text.
Where else does DefinedTerm schema get used outside of glossaries?
It appears wherever a formal, named term needs structured identification: industry classification codes such as NAICS, library and archival resource types, occupational skill taxonomies, and legal or regulatory definitions. A glossary is simply the most direct and common use case.
