dictionary

noun

dic·​tio·​nary ˈdik-shə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce dictionary (audio)
-ˌne-rē
plural dictionaries
1
: a reference source in print or electronic form containing words usually alphabetically arranged along with information about their forms, pronunciations, functions, etymologies, meanings, and syntactic and idiomatic uses
2
: a reference book listing alphabetically terms or names important to a particular subject or activity along with discussion of their meanings and applications
3
: a reference book listing alphabetically the words of one language and showing their meanings or translations in another language
4
: a computerized list (as of items of data or words) used for reference (as for information retrieval or word processing)

Examples of dictionary in a Sentence

Famed for his dictionary, "Rambler" essays and The Lives of the English Poets, Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) remains one of the most-quoted and carefully observed authors who ever lived. Publishers Weekly, 21 July 2008
I still read relatively slowly in Yiddish, with frequent recourse to a dictionary, and my first year of graduate school found me at my desk till two or three in the morning every night … Aaron Lansky, Outwitting History, 2004
Look it up in the dictionary. try to develop the habit of going to the dictionary whenever you encounter an unfamiliar word
Recent Examples on the Web Supper: Generational Differences But language is an ever-evolving concept, and dictionaries are merely a snapshot of a language at a particular time. Michelle Darrisaw, Southern Living, 18 Aug. 2023 The dictionary will be released in 2025 and is expected to include about 1,000 words. Meron Moges-Gerbi, CNN, 11 June 2023 Google Translate had always mimicked the way a human might use a dictionary, just faster and at scale. Camille Bromley, WIRED, 29 Aug. 2023 Otherwise, Reeves says, prisoners request everything from dictionaries to thrillers to coloring books and how-to-draw guides. Gabe Bullard, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2023 The choice of words will vary from the middle ages to the plantation era, but the dictionary will also include popular words from current social media platforms such as Black Twitter. Meron Moges-Gerbi, CNN, 11 June 2023 The recordings will be uploaded to the Ho-Chunk online dictionary and later added to an app students can download to use as a resource when learning the tribal language and history – a history Brown says dates back to the Ice Ages. Justin Gamble, CNN, 19 July 2023 The ruling Unfortunately for the farmer, Justice Timothy Keene turned to the dictionary for a definition of what a thumbs-up emoji means. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 7 July 2023 The African American English Dictionary: The first 10 words of Oxford’s dictionary of words created or reinvented by Black people are in. Jessica Testa, New York Times, 25 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dictionary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin dictiōnārium, name for an alphabetized guide to the Vulgate, earlier dictiōnārius, name for a Latin textbook in which words are grouped by topic (apparently coined by its author, the 13th-century English-born university teacher John of Garland), from Latin dictiōn-, dictiō "speech, (in grammar) word, expression" + -ārius, -ārium -ary entry 1 — more at diction

First Known Use

1526, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dictionary was in 1526

Dictionary Entries Near dictionary

Cite this Entry

“Dictionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dictionary. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

dictionary

noun
dic·​tio·​nary ˈdik-shə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce dictionary (audio)
plural dictionaries
1
: a reference source in print or electronic form giving information about the meanings, forms, pronunciations, uses, and origins of words listed in alphabetical order
2
: a reference book that lists in alphabetical order terms or names important to a particular subject along with explanations of their meanings and uses
a law dictionary
3
: a reference book giving words of one language and their meanings in another
an English-French dictionary
Etymology

from Latin dictionarium "dictionary," from earlier diction-, dictio- "words, speaking," from dicere "to say" — related to dictate

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