glossary

noun

glos·​sa·​ry ˈglä-sə-rē 

ˈglȯ-

plural glossaries

: a collection of textual glosses or of specialized terms with their meanings

glossarial

glä-ˈser-ē-əl 

glȯ-

adjective

Examples of glossary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There was even a glossary of diagnosis codes that are used for billing. —Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025

The warning forecasts sustained surface winds, or frequent gusts, in the range of 34 knots (39 mph) to 47 knots (54 mph), either predicted or occurring, and not directly associated with a tropical cyclone, the NWS glossary explains. —Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 5 Sep. 2025

On another page of the menu is a glossary of explanations for ingredients listed in some of the dishes. —Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025

To avoid this, look to centralize your transcription process with a unified workflow that includes linguistic QA and terminology glossaries tailored to your firm. —Beth Worthy, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English glosarie, borrowed from Medieval Latin glōsārium, glōssārium, from glōsa, glōssa gloss entry 3 + Latin -ārium -ary entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

glossary

noun

glos·​sa·​ry ˈgläs-(ə-)rē 

ˈglȯs-

plural glossaries

1

: a list of the hard or unusual words found in a book

2

: a dictionary of the special terms in a particular field