DefinedTerm Schema is a JSON-LD structured data type that marks up a dictionary- or glossary-style definition, explicitly pairing a term (name) with its meaning (description) and, optionally, the glossary it belongs to (inDefinedTermSet).
Why it matters
Glossaries are a workhorse of generative engine optimization: definitional queries ("what is X") are exactly the kind of question AI engines answer constantly, and a clean, marked-up definition is the easiest passage for them to lift. DefinedTerm schema removes ambiguity, the engine knows this page defines this exact term, which strengthens your entity SEO and improves the odds your wording becomes the definition an LLM repeats. It also helps engines map your glossary as a coherent set rather than dozens of disconnected thin pages.
How to use it
- Add DefinedTerm JSON-LD to every glossary page, with
namematching the term exactly anddescriptionmatching your one-sentence, answer-first definition. - Group entries with
DefinedTermSetso engines understand the glossary as one entity, and interlink related terms on-page. - Write the visible definition to be citable standalone, one clear sentence first, context after, so it works as a citation capsule for AI answers.
Related terms
Paul-Marie is the founder of Readyt, the Reddit growth platform for SaaS. He has generated 16K€+ in pre-sales in 2 months using nothing but Reddit, and now helps founders turn Reddit threads into their #1 acquisition channel.
