glossary

noun

glos·​sa·​ry ˈglä-sə-rē How to pronounce glossary (audio)
ˈglȯ-
plural glossaries
: a collection of textual glosses or of specialized terms with their meanings
glossarial adjective

Examples of glossary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Opening with a thorough glossary and introduction into terminology, the book invites readers to truly listen and learn without judgment. Brea Baker, ELLE, 18 Aug. 2023 Let The Times help, with this handy glossary for all things Bey. ‘Barbie’ becomes highest-grossing movie of 2023 as ‘Gran Turismo’ zooms to No. 1 at the box office. Karim Doumar, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2023 The service coupled this on Thursday with a chapter in its influential Stylebook that advises journalists how to cover the story, complete with a glossary of terminology. David Bauder, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Aug. 2023 The service will couple this on Thursday with a chapter in its influential Stylebook that advises journalists how to cover the story, complete with a glossary of terminology. David Bauder, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2023 The chapter includes a glossary of terminology, including machine learning, training data, face recognition, and algorithmic bias. David Bauder, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Aug. 2023 The chapter includes a glossary of terminology, including machine learning, training data, face recognition and algorithmic bias. David Bauder, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2023 Read up on the recruitment process, the high costs involved, and a glossary of terms. Savannah Tryens-Fernandes | Stryens-Fernandes@al.com, al, 10 Aug. 2023 Filled with bright photographs, a Yorùbá glossary, clear instructions, comprehensive guides, and deep meditations, My Everyday Lagos includes 75 recipes that cover a full week of Lagos’s culinary life. Vanessa Pamela Friedman, Vogue, 8 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'glossary.' 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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of glossary was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near glossary

Cite this Entry

“Glossary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glossary. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

glossary

noun
glos·​sa·​ry ˈgläs-(ə-)rē How to pronounce glossary (audio)
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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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