dictionary
noun
dic·tio·nary ˈdik-shə-ˌner-ē 
-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)
Synonyms
- lexicon
- wordbook
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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
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 Other terms like oat milk, pumpkin spice, subvariant, false positive, shrinkflation, and gift economy have also been added to the dictionary. Essence, 10 Sep. 2022 Last year, Sokolowski offered more insight on the TODAY show and explained how new words are chosen to be added to the dictionary. Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2022 About once a year, Merriam-Webster adds new words to the dictionary. Martine Paris, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2022 On Wednesday, those phrases, along with 368 others, were officially added to the dictionary. Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 8 Sep. 2022 Stokoe committed himself to developing a script, and from that, a dictionary. BostonGlobe.com, 29 Aug. 2022 Crucially, anybody can contribute definitions to the dictionary. Boris Kontsevoi, Forbes, 9 June 2022 Despite numerous explainers, Clubhouse chat rooms, and an addition to the dictionary, the concept of a non-fungible token remains elusive for many. Anne Quito, Quartz, 17 Jan. 2022 Magnetometers are devices used to detect the presence of metal objects, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary's definition, also known as metal detectors. Orlando Mayorquin, USA TODAY, 28 June 2022 See More
Essence, 10 Sep. 2022 Last year, Sokolowski offered more insight on the TODAY show and explained how new words are chosen to be added to the dictionary. Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2022 About once a year, Merriam-Webster adds new words to the dictionary. Martine Paris, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2022 On Wednesday, those phrases, along with 368 others, were officially added to the dictionary. Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 8 Sep. 2022 Stokoe committed himself to developing a script, and from that, a dictionary. BostonGlobe.com, 29 Aug. 2022 Crucially, anybody can contribute definitions to the dictionary. Boris Kontsevoi, Forbes, 9 June 2022 Despite numerous explainers, Clubhouse chat rooms, and an addition to the dictionary, the concept of a non-fungible token remains elusive for many. Anne Quito, Quartz, 17 Jan. 2022 Magnetometers are devices used to detect the presence of metal objects, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary's definition, also known as metal detectors. Orlando Mayorquin, USA TODAY, 28 June 2022 See More 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
Kids Definition
dictionary
noun
dic·tio·nary ˈdik-shə-ˌner-ē
plural dictionaries
1
: a book giving the meaning and usually the pronunciation of words listed in alphabetical order
2
: a reference book explaining words of a particular subject listed in alphabetical order
a medical dictionary
3
: a book listing words of one language in alphabetical order with definitions in another language
dictionaries
noun
as in lexicons
a reference book giving information about the meanings, pronunciations, uses, and origins of words listed in alphabetical order try to develop the habit of going to the dictionary whenever you encounter an unfamiliar word Synonyms & Similar Words
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