dictionary

American  

[dik-shuh-ner-ee] / ˈdɪk ʃəˌnɛr i /

noun

• dictionaries
  plural

1. 

   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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

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dictionary British  

/ ˈdɪkʃənərɪ, -ʃənrɪ /

noun

1. 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

2. 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

3. a collection of information or examples with the entries alphabetically arranged

   a dictionary of quotations

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dictionaries
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of dictionary

First recorded in 1570–80; from Medieval Latin dictiōnārium, dictiōnārius, from Late Latin dictiōn- stem of dictiō “word” + -ārium, -ārius adjective and noun suffix; see diction ( def. ), -ary ( def. )

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Explanation

A dictionary is a collection of words and their definitions (and sometimes other information). Such collections are usually printed as books, but some are now designed for use on computers. Dictionary originally came from the Latin word dictionarius, meaning "a manual or book of words." A dictionary is most commonly used to look up the definitions of particular words, but other information, such as etymology and usage guidelines, often appears as well. Electronic dictionaries can include even more information, like slang and popular texting acronyms, such as "ttyn," which stands for "talk to you never."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dictionary dictionaries

Last month, leading Dutch dictionary Dikke van Dale said it would include a new term for the labia, "vulvalippen" - in its upcoming online addition - alongside the traditional term "schaamlippen".

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

On that view, the statute’s design reveals Congress’ objective every bit as clearly as any dictionary definition.

From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026

“And I’ve always said the most important word in any dictionary around the world is the word ‘freedom.’”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026

Lawyers also dug up archaic legal tracts and 19th century dictionary entries defining the word “election.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026

That first night, when the baby had finally fallen asleep in their laps, Mr. and Mrs. McCullough spent two hours flipping through the name dictionary.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

For his part, Thomas writes as though history resides principally in legal texts, 19th-century dictionaries, and carefully parsed debates over sovereignty.

From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026

Middle age enrichment included income level at age 40, access to resources such as magazine subscriptions, dictionaries, and library cards, and how often participants visited places like museums or libraries.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 15, 2026

Simply by dint of their tablet-like heft, dictionaries make a claim for longevity and authority.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025

The color namers at Pantone veer from the work of your Rolling Stones and Oxford dictionaries, taking in the year that was and forecasting the hue of the upcoming year.

From Salon ● Dec. 4, 2025

The most common English pronunciation is lon- zhuh-RAY, but American dictionaries also accept LON- zhuh-ree and lan-zhuh-REE.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

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