library

noun

li·​brary ˈlī-ˌbrer-ē 

-ˌbre-rē;

British usually and US sometimes -brə-rē;

British often and US sometimes

-brē 

nonstandard -ˌber-ē

nonstandard

-ˌbe-rē 

plural libraries

1

a

: a place in which literary, musical, artistic, or reference materials (such as books, manuscripts, recordings, or films) are kept for use but not for sale

b

: a collection of such materials

a library of jazz recordings

2

a

: a collection resembling or suggesting a library

an illustrations library

b

: morgue sense 2

3

a

: a series of related books issued by a publisher

a Dickens library

b

: a collection of publications on the same subject

4

: a collection of cloned DNA fragments that are maintained in a suitable cellular environment and that usually represent the genetic material of a particular organism or tissue

How do you pronounce library?: Usage Guide

While the pronunciation \ˈlī-ˌbrer-ē\ is the most frequent variant in the U.S., the other variants are not uncommon. The contraction \ˈlī-brē\ and the dissimilated form \ˈlī-ˌber-ē\ result from the relative difficulty of repeating \r\ in the same syllable or successive syllables; our files contain citations for these variants from educated speakers, including college presidents and professors, as well as with somewhat greater frequency from less educated speakers.

Synonyms of library

• archive

Examples of library in a Sentence

I borrowed the book from the school library.

He has an impressive library of jazz records.

a library of computer programs

Recent Examples on the Web

And neighbors have pursued a years-long effort to improve parking access to the library. —Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Nov. 2025

My budget is closer to Gawda’s than Morgan’s, so other than a (brief and foolish) mania for purchasing seventeenth-century print on eBay a decade ago, my library is less a collection than a biography. —Literary Hub, 24 Nov. 2025

According to a recent survey from the Idaho Commission for Libraries, an agency created by the Legislature, nearly all public libraries in the state comply with the 2024 harmful-materials law, State Librarian Stephanie Bailey-White told the Statesman. —Idaho Statesman, 24 Nov. 2025

Most local banks, post offices, libraries, and government buildings will be closed on Thursday for the holiday. —Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 24 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French librarie, Medieval Latin librarium, from Latin, neuter of librarius of books, from libr-, liber inner bark, rind, book

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing library

• depository library
• inter-library
• lending library
• library paste
• library science
• mobile library
• reference library
• rental library

Rhymes for library

• askari
• astbury
• azeri
• banbury
• barberry
• blackberry
• blueberry
• canary
• cranberry
• dentary
• dewberry
• dogberry

Video

'Mispronunciations' That May Be Fine

'Mischievous,' 'nuclear,' and other words to pronounce with caution.

Kids Definition

library

noun

li·​brary ˈlī-ˌbrer-ē 

plural libraries

1

a

: a place where books, magazines, and records are kept for use but not for sale

b

: a collection of books, magazines, or records

2

: a collection resembling or suggesting a library

a library of computer programs

Etymology

Middle English library, librarie "a place where books are kept," from Latin librarium (same meaning), from earlier librarius "of books," from liber "book" — related to libel see Word History at libel

Medical Definition

library

noun

li·​brary ˈlī-ˌbrer-ē 

plural libraries

: a collection of cloned DNA fragments that are maintained in a suitable cellular environment and that represent the genetic material of a particular organism or tissue

inserting segments from a library of human DNA into yeast cells

—Science News