Which statement defines distribution as the status of a term in regard to its extension?

• A. The status of a term in regard to its extension
• B. The certainty of a term
• C. The frequency of a term's appearance
• D. The truth value of a term

Answer: (A)

Distribution is about whether a term refers to the entire class it denotes—the extension. The extension of a term is the set of things it covers. A term is distributed when the proposition makes a claim about all members of that class; if it only says something about some members, the term is undistributed. So distribution defines the status of a term with respect to its extension. This contrasts with certainty, frequency, or truth value, which pertain to how true or likely, or how often, something is, not to the scope of what the term covers. For example, in All humans are mortal, the subject term humans is distributed because the statement speaks about every human.