Domain of discourse

In the formal sciences, the domain of discourse or universe of discourse (borrowing from the mathematical concept of universe) is the set of entities over which certain variables of interest in some formal treatment may range.

It is also defined as the collection of objects being discussed in a specific discourse. In model-theoretical semantics, a universe of discourse is the set of entities that a model is based on.

The domain of discourse is usually identified in the preliminaries, so that there is no need in the further treatment to specify each time the range of the relevant variables.^[1] Many logicians distinguish, sometimes only tacitly, between the domain of a science and the universe of discourse of a formalization of the science.^[2]

^ Corcoran, John. Universe of discourse. Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, Cambridge University Press, 1995, p. 941.
^ José Miguel Sagüillo, Domains of sciences, universe of discourse, and omega arguments, History and philosophy of logic, vol. 20 (1999), pp. 267–280.

[1] Corcoran, John. Universe of discourse. Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, Cambridge University Press, 1995, p. 941.

[2] José Miguel Sagüillo, Domains of sciences, universe of discourse, and omega arguments, History and philosophy of logic, vol. 20 (1999), pp. 267–280.

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