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

Synonyms of library next

: 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

: a collection of such materials

a library of jazz recordings

: a collection resembling or suggesting a library

an illustrations library

: morgue sense 2

: a series of related books issued by a publisher

a Dickens library

: a collection of publications on the same subject

: 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.

Example Sentences

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 The best anime streaming services start with a comprehensive library of series and movies. —

Stacey Nguyen, EW.com, 21 Mar. 2023 Plus, the rower gives you access to a huge library of live and on-demand classes that include rowing, cardio + core, stretch, HIIT, and more. —

Emily Shiffer, Women's Health, 20 Mar. 2023 This immersive storytelling app has a library of more than 10,000 audio vignettes about people, places, and things across the United States. —

Catherine Garcia, The Week, 18 Mar. 2023 In the app, subscribers have access to a giant library of tutorials, all of which are conducted by Jillian and her renowned colleagues. —

Emily Weaver, Peoplemag, 17 Mar. 2023 The banner’s library of content grew by 30% to 160,000 hours, while revenues from streaming platforms rose by 61%. —

Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 17 Mar. 2023 In other words, there is a library of books about poverty that suggest feasible and achievable solutions to eliminate it. —

Anjali Enjeti, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Mar. 2023 After years of what seemed like a detente, last month the city started posting public notices at the library that HPD would begin ticketing such groups after Friday, February 24. —

Brittanie Shey, Chron, 15 Mar. 2023 The on-staff notary at the library is available Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, and the cost is $3 per document. —

Taylor Lane The News Courier, Athens, Ala. (tns), al, 15 Mar. 2023 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'library.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of library was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Library.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/library. Accessed 26 Mar. 2023.

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Kids Definition

library

noun

li·brary ˈlī-ˌbrer-ē

plural libraries

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

: a collection of books, magazines, or records

: 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