

‘For our purposes…’
Definitions
…to help you better understand what we mean when we use these words:
[Common meanings may still also apply. See our recommended dictionaries below.]
Economy is the basis of society. When the economy is stable, society develops.
Author: Morehei Ueshiba Marshall Artist and Spiritualist
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Dictionaries and Definitions:
Important Notice
An Educational Axiom:
You cannot understand the meaning or subject matter of a communication
if you do not know the precise meanings of the words communicating it,
or how the words are used for that specific communication!
You, therefore, cannot learn and you cannot learn to do
what the communication [i.e. text] provides.
Whenever reading anything in this text that does not communicate
clearly and without doubt or confusion,
find the words confusing you and
look them up in our glossary or a plain speak intermediate dictionary.
The best plain speak dictionaries are listed below.
Learn a lesson from Benjamin Franklin
(In a letter to his adapted 'niece', Mary 'Polly' Stevenson, on May 16,1760)
[The Way to Wealth, Skyhorse Publishing. Kindle Edition. (underline, bold, bracketed notes mine.)]
“…as many of the terms of science [economics is a science] are such as you cannot have met with in your common reading, and may, therefore, be unacquainted with, I think it would be well for you to have a good dictionary at hand, to consult immediately when you meet with a word you do not comprehend the precise meaning of. This may at first seem troublesome and interrupting; but it is a trouble that will daily diminish, as you will daily find less and less occasion for your dictionary, as you become more acquainted with the terms; and in the meantime you will read with more satisfaction, because [you will read] with more understanding.”
Also, some current definitions on the subject of economics are inadequately descriptive for productivity class purposes. We provide such words with productivity class "For our purposes…" definitions.
Productivity Class Recommended Dictionaries:
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the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (SOED)
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the New Oxford American Dictionary (NOAD)
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the WordWeb Dictionary [by Princeton University]
These are the dictionaries the author used
while writing this text. Use them if you
want to make sure that 'what you get' is
'what the author meant'.
[All three dictionaries are available at WordWeb.com]








A
ACCOUNTING For our purposes... (verb) 'Accounting for' [The root meaning of accounting is to ‘count and confirm an amount of something’] To confirm, verify, or show – by proper ‘counting’, calculation, or consideration of causative factors; The activity or process of 'accounting for' economic conditions [...all of the revenue, assets, and liabilities (income, expenses, property, etc.) of an economic endeavor so that managers or administrators can exercise positive control and direction over conditions of a business or household.] (noun) the subject of knowing and accomplishing the above. [i.e. ‘the field of endeavor’]; ‘the accounted for’ result; or the department in an organization that does the above.
'ADDED VALUE' or 'VALUE ADDED' For our purposes... (noun) The additional value that is added to a product when a thing already produced is altered or added to in order to make it worth more to the consumer. [in a trade – i.e. the increase in its 'market value']
ALTRUISM For our purposes… (noun) Regard for the well-being of others as a guiding principle in the actions one takes and the things one does. For our purposes… However, true altruism is not a concept of personal philosophy. Altruism is 'the innate instinctual drive of the human social animal to contribute to the well-being of others and serve the greater good' when actively employed as a primary guiding principle in the living of one's life.
AXIOM For our purposes... (noun) A fact, principle, phenomenon, truth, etc., the truth of which is observably self-evident [and therefore need not be proven or disproven with discovery, experimentation, or prior validated evidence].
B
BARTER For our purposes... (verb) Trading products or services for other products or services – without currency as an intermediary.
BASIC PURPOSE (noun) The basic purpose of all material activity is to secure the material requirements necessary to...
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achieve a worthwhile quality of survival,
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successfully pursue the dynamics of living, and
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consistently improve living conditions.
(noun) The ‘dynamic human drive’ to accomplish the above.
BUDGET For our purposes... (noun) A summary of expenses and consumptive type resources required to accomplish a particular endeavor or result, and an action plan to accomplish it.
C
CAPACITY vs. CAPABILITY For our purposes... (nouns)
In common usage 'capacity' and 'capability' are usually interchangeable depending on their context or particular usage. Most dictionaries even often use each of these words to define the other [a bad idea]. However, For our purposes…, we need to draw a distinction between the 'innate power to be able to learn and retain knowledge and skills' – which we will call capacity – and to 'actually have that knowledge and the trained skills and competence to apply it and get an intended result' – which we will call capability.
By these usages, each of the five primary axioms contain only the capacities necessary to do the twelve elemental activities. The capabilities have to be learned and practiced up the skill levels. [see GAIN: The Twelve Elemental Activities: Education for the skill levels]
CAPITALIZING For our purposes... (verb) providing or acquiring the resources necessary to produce or consume.
CAPITAL For our purposes... (noun) the resources – financial or otherwise – used to produce or consume.
CAPITALIZATION For our purposes... (noun) The act or instance of capitalizing or providing the capital to produce or consume.
TERMINOLOGY NOTICE: Do not confuse the two usages of the term 'capital':
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'Capital' as a single type of resource – fabricated tools, equipment, etc. necessary for productivity – i.e. capital resource.
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'Capital' as a general term for all resources – material, capital [including 'financial'], and human.
CONSUME For our purposes... (verb) To use up through expenditure or utility; or To buy goods or services.
CONSUMPTION See WordWeb.com; the New Oxford American Dictionary; and the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary for the best plain speak, clearly defined meanings of this word. All are available at WordWeb.com
CURRENCY For our purposes… (noun) A tangible object assigned a specific 'value equivalent’ [equivalent to the value of real productivity, products, or services] to use as a substitute for actual productivity, products, or services in a trade – a 'common medium of exchange' that ends the need for ‘barter trading’; A common medium of exchange that is broadly agreed upon, officially supported [governmentally]', and accepted by a producer from a consumer in a trade instead of 'barter’ – i.e. monetary currency [money].
For our purposes... Retained, unspent 'value of productivity' in the form of a tradable common medium of exchange.
Monetary currency [minted or otherwise fabricated money] (noun) any item adapted for use as a 'medium of reserved trade value' that represents, is equivalent to, and is tradable for productivity, products, or services.
D
DEMAND For our purposes… (noun) 'Demand' is the elemental activity of 'consume' manifested as 'the aggregate drive of a populace, or segment thereof, to acquire products or services' to satisfy any basic purpose end [their 'demand' for them].
DERIVATIVE [root word derive] For our purposes… (adjective) Originating or obtained from something else or another source. For our purposes… (noun) A thing originating from or obtained from something else or another source.
DERIVATIVE OPERATING DYNAMIC For our purposes… (noun) The dynamic phenomena and causative forces newly generated [derived] from the activities of the primary operating dynamics. ['Derivative operating dynamics' are utilized to measure, calculate, and reason or to manipulate, manage, or control economic activity; they are also called the ‘subordinate or supporting operating dynamics’ as their activities must ‘subordinate’ to ‘supporting’ the success of the primary operating dynamics – Examples: Supply and Demand principles; Margins; Prices and Pricing; etc.].
DYNAMIC For our purposes... (noun) In humans, ‘a forceful urge that drives one’ to follow a direction or path, or perform an activity so as to complete or accomplish a human need; a human drive of a fundamental nature.
E
ECONOMIZE For our purposes... (verb) to cut or reduce expenses by spending less or using a resource in a sparing manner; to reduce an expense or an expenditure of a resource or resources; to be frugal; to put something into an economic context; to change a non-economic thing into an economic thing; to put into use for economic purposes [not the same as ‘monetize’]
ETHICS and MORALS – An Important Note: You must not confuse ethics and morals by thinking they are the same or interchangeable in meaning. Such confusions leave the two concepts distorted, send people into confused applications and conflict with others, and weaken the effectiveness of even correct applications.
Also, many people who do get these two concepts correctly still tend to 'switch' the use of each of the words for the other's definition. Below is how we will be using these terms in this text:
ETHICS For our purposes… (noun) A system or set of principles, rules, mores, laws, policies, etc. required in governing acceptable conduct and behaviors in any particular sphere of activity. [Compare with 'MORALS' under 'M']
EXPEND For our purposes… To pay out, use up, or in some way outlay or outflow all or a portion of any type of resource [currency, energy, inventory, time, materials, etc.] for any productive, gainful, or consumptive purpose.
NOTE: The word 'expend' [a verb] started out meaning ‘to lay out or weigh money to pay for [something]’. Over time that became more specific in use to 'to outlay any type of resource [money, energy, inventory, etc.] for any purpose'. The earlier meaning of 'expend' was shortened to 'spend' when used to mean 'to pay for something' or 'to use a currency resource to purchase a product or service'. Dispend is used mostly to mean 'to give out and distribute' [the key point there is 'give' out, not 'pay' out]. Expense is the noun describing that 'a specific thing is or requires a monetary outlay', 'a thing you expend money for', or 'the action of expending something'.
In all cases, the root word is expend. When we get that concept, we get the proper concept that whenever we spend, expend, or dispend currency or any valuable resource on an expense, we are depleting [consuming] our resource in trade for a productive gain on our basic purpose endeavors.
EXPENSE (NOAD*) noun The costs we must expend to acquire something.
F
G
GAIN For our purposes... (verb) To increase in amount, value, rate, development, etc.; Also, more specifically, to increase profits, wages, or salary over and above the needs of one's current ‘basic purpose’ conditions [see Basic Purpose]. (noun) That which is gained as defined above.
H
I
INVERT [economically] For our purposes... (verb) To reverse or change the face, direction of flow, or activity so as to produce the opposite or reverse effect.
INVERSION For our purposes... (noun) Perversion or corruption of the innate human intent to 'contribute to' others for a return of 'mutual benefit', into an inverted human intent to 'draw away' , 'take from' or 'deprive' others for self-serving gain.
Also, economically: Reversal of the 'innate' human intent to gain through ‘fair exchange' with others, into an inverted human intent to gain at the 'expense' of others [or environment].
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Economists use the term 'ECONOMIC ANTIBIOSIS': antagonism between economically dependent parties [aka: inverted economic relationships] [opposite of symbiosis] We don't use this term. We use inversion as it is more descriptive of intent and result.
J
K
L
M
MARKET For our purposes… (noun) [An organizational term for] 'a specific buying public' of any type; or 'a centrally located place facilitating public trade'. For our purposes… (verb) the activities required to get a product or service to be noticed and purchased by a specific buying public.
['Market' – a segment of consuming public willing to buy a particular product or service within a particular price range is a ‘market’ for that product or service [including employers willing to pay for an individual’s labor, skills, or management expertise – e.g. 'labor market'].
MARKET VALUE For our purposes... The 'value' of a product or service to a 'market' of consumers.
MONETARY VALUE (WordWeb.com) noun The property of having material worth (often indicated by the amount of money something would bring if sold) For our purposes... The amount of money value that can be assigned a product or service to a particular market [or segment of buying public].
MORALS For our purposes… (noun) Those principles and beliefs, usually driven by a sense of conscience, a person employs in determining standards and making judgments for right and wrong or acceptable behavior.
N
O
OPERATING DYNAMIC For our purposes… (noun) A human or natural force [i.e. ‘dynamic’] actively utilized to direct, manage, control the function of something [i.e. ‘operate’] in order to accomplish a desired result.
ORGANIZE For our purposes… (verb) To 'organ-ize' is to take all of the necessary steps, processes and functions of a task, activity, or purpose and arrange them into functional 'organs' of the 'body of work' [like 'organs' of a living thing], and then, in order to be more productive, efficient, and consistent in performing the overall activity or purpose intended, arrange those 'organs' into an orderly functioning system – a single ‘body’ of coordinated ‘organ’-ized functions.
More succinctly... The arranging into a single coordinated whole all the different activities necessary for the most productive, efficient, and consistent accomplishment of a purpose.
For our purposes… (noun) A complete body of such functions is an 'organ'-ization. The activity has been 'organ'-ized.
ORGANIZING PRODUCER For our purposes… (noun) Any business owner, entrepreneur, self employed tradesman, etc. organizing and operating a business or other institution; more figuratively, administrators and executives responsible for organizing [or maintaining organized productivities] in an existing business or institution. [Compare with Working Producer]
P
PRIMARY OPERATING DYNAMIC For our purposes… (noun) A founding and vital activity upon which a human driving force accomplishes its motive, and from which all further contributing dynamic activities are derived.
PRODUCE For our purposes... (verb) To put a thing out for others to see or review [especially for inspection, consideration, approval, or use]; to create something from scratch or manufacture from raw materials; to cause an effect, result, action, etc.; to create [a scientific or mathematical theory, a product or service, work of art, music, etc.] through mental calculation or creativity or physical effort.
For our purposes... (verb) Other Common Business or Economic Meanings for the Word PRODUCE:
1. To make or create things in volume [mass, high speed manufacturing];
2. To get the work completed or done regardless of difficulty;
3. To get or yield an intended result every time;
4. To create consistent, and consistently excellent, tangible output; and
5. To present and sell products in profitable volume.
Note the ‘volume’, ‘profitability’, ‘consistency’, ‘excellence’ and ‘in spite of difficulty’ concepts added to the basic meanings of produce. This is the business end of economics. Without these concepts added to the meaning of produce, a business venture does not long survive, nor does an individual’s employment. So only the firmest grasp and competent application of these definitions of produce will begin to advance an individual, a family, a business, any organization, or even a nation to any level of success. It’s that important.
PRODUCTIVITY For our purposes... (noun) The activity of producing [a product or service]; the measurement [in volume and/or in value] of what was produced.
More… For our purposes… (noun) To start with, the root word of productivity is productive, of which the root word is product and then, at the root of it all, produce. To be producing is to be productive. Therefore, productivity is also:
The condition, nature, or measure of being productive in actively producing products or services [a service is actually a form of a product — a service is ‘a result or action produced’ that is not a physical object]; The volume [quantity] of viable products or results produced in a given amount of time – i.e. the quantity or volume of yield produced in a manufacturing run, season, or given time frame.
New Oxford American Dictionary: (noun) The effectiveness of productive effort, especially in industry [and economics*], as measured in terms of the rate of output per unit per unit of input. [*bracketed addition mine]
'PRODUCTIVITY IN TRADE' For our purposes... (noun) The value and volume of what we have to offer an employer in trade; the currency value we are successfully realizing from an employer in return for our productivity.
PROMOTE [economically]: For our purposes... (verb) to forward a public’s or market’s esteem or desire for a product or service; to communicate publicly and broadly the merits of a product or service and make it broadly known and those merits valued.
Q
QUALITY For our purposes… (noun or adjective) is measured by 'how well a thing is made' – that is, how well a thing is constructed to perform its intended purpose; how well it holds up in expected or required use, or difficult circumstances of use; and how lasting a thing is in performing its intended purpose.
R
RESOURCES For our purposes… (noun) People, tools and machinery, currency, or materials we use to produce products, services, or cause effects and to present and deliver them to consumers.
[The three types of economic resources are human, capital, and material (capital resources are products made for the specific purpose of making other products or delivering services).]
REVENUE[S] For our purposes... (noun) Gross earnings before expenses [costs] and taxes; also sometimes a term that refers to 'taxes collected by local, state, or federal governments'.
S
SELLING For our purposes... (verb) Convincing someone to purchase a product or service and/or completing the transaction of a trade.
SYMBIOSIS For our purposes... (noun) A relationship based upon mutual advantage between people or other living things. [Key words in this definition for our purposes are 'mutual advantage'] For our purposes… A condition wherein production and trade activities are mutually beneficial to the basic purpose pursuits of the producing and trading participants, and, at minimum, unharmful to all other effected parties, populaces, and environmental conditions.
SYMBIOTIC EXCHANGE For our purposes… (noun) A trade of products and services [for other products and services or currency] that is of 'mutual advantage' to the participating parties – and of no disadvantage to non-participants.
SPECIALIZE For our purposes... (verb) To produce one, or one type, of needed or wanted product or service to trade for all other basic purpose needs and wants.
T
TRANSACTION For our purposes... (noun) The 'completion of a sale or contract' wherein the exchange of goods or services for money, other form of payment, or agreement for future payment is complete; The 'action' in which a 'transfer' occurs of something that is exchanged for something else.
U
V
VALUE For our purposes... (noun) See the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary definitions 5. and 5.d.
VIABILITY For our purposes... (noun) See the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary
VOLUME For our purposes... (noun) See the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary definitions 6.b.
W
WORKING PRODUCER For our purposes... (noun) an employee; a specialized or non-specialized producer of any level of employment — including management — employed buy a business or other type of organization.
X
Y
Z