How is MOBA supposed to be defined?

[cdstk]

I don't play Dota 2 but I'd really like a cleary definiton of MOBA and Dota is possibly one of the most well know MOBAs out there. I've looked a couple of google results for the definition but one thing bugs me... There is this other game I play, you can build units and stuff so it's a normal RTS right? The official site and steam store page only lists at as RTS as well, but a lot of unofficial websites keep categorizing it as a MOBA so and it's really confusing me about the definition of MOBA.

Is MOBA defined by what the letter stand for (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena)? I'm having this discussion with another person about the other game I play and their arguement that that game is a MOBA is based on what the letters stand for and what unofficial sites have categorized it as. I do not think MOBA is defined by what the letters stand for because any pvp multiplayer online game would most likely be categorized by MOBA, which I find ridiculous.

To get a better definition I have googled "define moba" and have 3 sources IGN, urban dictionary[www.urbandictionary.com], and Wikipedia[en.wikipedia.org]. They all give the gist of MOBA such as control a single hero, have abilities, try to destory the enemy base and being rooted from the RTS genre.

The thing I want to know is if the ability to build and command multiple units, more than the single hero, would make the game not considered a MOBA, and/or in any environment that centralizes a single Hero with abilities on team with the purpose being the destory the enemy base, make a game a MOBA.

[ChubbNutt]

MOBA was really only created so that people people would stop calling League a "Dota-like" game, and start calling it something else.

But yeah, "MOBA" is a terrible definition.

[Onion]

Looking up EXACT definitions is poinless. I could categorize "Call of Duty" as RTS if i dug really deep into exact definions.
Majority agrees that Dota-like games are called MOBA and thats what matters.
Its same situlation as money. It only has value as long as we all agree that it does.

[mimizukari]

action real time strategy.

[Zyfodeus]

MOBA + RTS then. Dudumdum
It is though. Strategizing on what ability and item build to start with to suit the situation.

[gin toe kee]

According to valve, Dota 2 is actually an ARTS (action rts) so it's pretty much rts without those boring farming time. and MOBA is a term coined by riot games (lol developers). Both of them are pretty much talking about the same game genre. But i stick with ARTS

[Immaculatebacon]

In a broad sense, MOBA=arena style battle (like call of duty, match to match) except with character choices with different spells, basically.

[Broward Slime]

top down RPG-MMO PVP... in a nutshell that is