thesaurus

American  

[thi-sawr-uhs] / θɪˈsɔr əs /

noun

plural

thesauruses, thesauri

1. a dictionary of synonyms and antonyms, such as the online Thesaurus.com.

2. any dictionary, encyclopedia, or other comprehensive reference book.

3. a storehouse, repository, or treasury.

4. Computers.

   1. an index to information stored in a computer, consisting of a comprehensive list of subjects concerning which information may be retrieved by using the proper key terms.

   2. a dictionary of synonyms and antonyms stored in memory for use in word processing.

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thesaurus British  

/ θɪˈsɔːrəs /

noun

1. a book containing systematized lists of synonyms and related words

2. a dictionary of selected words or topics

3. rare a treasury

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Usage

What is a thesaurus? A thesaurus is a book or program that lists synonyms and antonyms of words.A thesaurus can be a book you can find in a library, a website (such as Thesaurus.com), or a database stored in a word processor (such as the one you can find in Microsoft Word). The plural of thesaurus is thesauruses or thesauri.A synonym is a word that has the same meaning as another word. For example, huge, gigantic, massive, and large are synonyms of the word big. An antonym is a word that has the opposite meaning of another word. Small, tiny, and little are antonyms of the word big.Thesauri are useful when you want to avoid using the same word over and over or need a fancy word to describe something as being “not good” or “not fun.”

Etymology

Origin of thesaurus

First recorded in 1730–40; from Latin thēsaurus, from Greek thēsaurós “treasure, treasury”

Example Sentences

As the authors write, he turned to the thesaurus and made lists of traditional “pirating” words.

From Los Angeles Times

She undoubtedly has a thesaurus earmarked and highlighted like a high school student’s SparkNotes copy of “Macbeth.”

From Salon

Stevens raised challenges in dozens of school districts over the Bible, dictionaries and thesauruses.

From Seattle Times

And now you can break out the thesaurus.

From Los Angeles Times

Critics thumbed thesauruses for hyperboles to rhapsodize about her pyrotechnics.

From New York Times

Related Words

• reference book