is-a

noun

The relationship between two entities in which one entity inherits from the other.

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Meanings

nounis-a (plural is-as)

plural is-as

  1. computingThe relationship between two entities in which one entity inherits from the other.

    A special slot, the Is-a slot, short for is-a-member-of-the-class, ties instances to the classes they are members of.

    1992, Patrick Henry Winston, Artificial Intelligence, 3rd edition, page 180
  2. computingSuch a relationship expressed as an ontology component (regardless of whether the OOP paradigm per se is implemented).

Origin

From is + a.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

is-a. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/is-a

MLA

“is-a.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/is-a. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “is-a,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/is-a.

Source: is-a on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.