Ativyapti over definition fallacy – UGC NET Question

Ativyapti arises when the defining characteristics are so general that they include items that do not genuinely belong to the definiendum. This means the definition covers more cases than it should, making it incapable of distinguishing the target class from neighbouring ones. Such over-extension is a serious flaw in logical analysis of concepts. Hence the defect described in the stem is called ativyapti.

Option A:
Option A is correct because ativyapti literally means "excessive pervasion", indicating that the predicate extends beyond its proper domain. It captures the problem of a lax or overly inclusive definition.

Option B:
Option B, avyapti, is under-definition, where some legitimate instances are omitted, which is the opposite error from that mentioned in the question.

Option C:
Option C, asambhava, denotes an impossible or contradictory definition, not one that is merely too wide.

Option D:
Option D, hetvabhasa, designates a fallacious reason in inference rather than a defect in defining terms.