DICTIONARY Definition & Meaning

View synonyms for

dictionary

[ dik-shuh-ner-ee ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

plural dictionaries.

a book or digital resource (such as Dictionary.com) containing a selection of words and information about their meanings, pronunciations, etymologies, inflected forms, derived forms, etc., in either the same or another language; lexicon; glossary:
an unabridged dictionary of English;
a Japanese–English dictionary.
a book or digital resource giving information on a particular subject or on a particular class of words, names, or facts, usually arranged alphabetically:
a biographical dictionary;
a dictionary of mathematics.
Computers.
1. a list of codes, terms, keys, etc., and their meanings, used by a computer program or system.
2. a selection of words used by a piece of software, such as a word-processing program, to check the spelling of text entered.

dictionary

/ ˈdɪkʃənərɪ; -ʃənrɪ /

noun

1. a reference resource, in printed or electronic form, that consists of an alphabetical list of words with their meanings and parts of speech, and often a guide to accepted pronunciation and syllabification, irregular inflections of words, derived words of different parts of speech, and etymologies
2. a similar reference work giving equivalent words in two or more languages. Such dictionaries often consist of two or more parts, in each of which the alphabetical list is given in a different language
  a German-English dictionary
3. ( as modifier ) See also glossary lexicon thesaurus
  a dictionary definition
a reference publication listing words or terms of a particular subject or activity, giving information about their meanings and other attributes
a dictionary of gardening
a collection of information or examples with the entries alphabetically arranged
a dictionary of quotations

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of dictionary¹

First recorded in 1570–80; from Medieval Latin �徱��پ�ō��ܳ�, �徱��پ�ō��ܲ�, from Late Latin �徱��پ�ō��- stem of �徱��پ�ō “word” + -ārium, -ārius adjective and noun suffix; diction ( def ), -ary ( def )

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of dictionary¹

C16: from Medieval Latin �徱��پ�ōnārium collection of words, from Late Latin �徱��پ�ō word; see diction

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Today, he will reveal in the White House Rose Garden not just how serious he is about "the most beautiful word in the dictionary", but effectively call time on decades of economic globalisation.

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Chelsea is sunny and compassionate, while Rick seems like the dictionary definition of a misanthrope.

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“People joke that when you get hired at Google, they have to give you a dictionary so you can understand all the terms,” advised Columbia Business School professor Adam Galinsky in his school’s publication.

From

This ranges from websites disappearing to the prohibition of dictionary words from federal scientist research papers.

From

This is the dictionary definition of a trade war - and economic historians warn they tend to generate their own momentum and can rapidly spiral out of control.

From

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