It will differ from dictionary to dictionary. Some of the standard information that can be listed for words include the items given below, listed from the 1979 Webster’s New Collegiate. There are so many kinds of words and so many functions in a variety of contexts that it would take pages to include all possible information given.
- The Entry; the word to be defined. This can be a single word, a hyphenated word, or in some cases two words, like ‘teaching fellow’ or ‘electron volt’.
- The Pronunciation, sometimes within backward slashes, according to a standard system of symbols.
- Part or Speech, or some other functional label.
- Inflected Forms. For example, when the plural of nouns causes y to change to i, or when there are any irregularities in forming plurals; also the principal parts of verbs are shown here;
- Etymology; this is what we know of the history and origin of the word.
- Usage: There are indications of the current use of the word or sense of the word, whether it is part of a dialect, is a nonstandard word or sense of a word.
- Definitions, with different senses the word can take, and other kinds of divisions;
- Cross-References; sometimes included when the dictionary user is invited to look at another entry for more related information.
- Synonyms & Antonyms
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Q: What information about a word is given in the dictionary?
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Macmillan Dictionary contains a great deal of useful information about words and phrases – information that sometimes can be difficult to navigate. On this page we provide answers to some of the frequently asked questions about what a dictionary entry includes.
If there are any terms you are not familiar with, you might find our Glossary of Dictionary Terms helpful.
What is a dictionary entry?
A dictionary entry is a set of information that describes a word or phrase.
A typical entry in Macmillan Dictionary consists of:
- a headword [1], which is shown in either black or red at the top of the entry;
- information about the word’s meaning or meanings, called definition(s) [2]. At the top of the entry you can see the number of definitions [3] listed;
- information about the word’s grammatical behaviour: word class [4] and any other relevant grammatical information.
At the top of the entry there is an icon for the headword’s spoken pronunciation [5] as well as the phonetic transcription of the word’s pronunciation (using the International Phonetic Alphabet or IPA symbols [6]). This information is not provided for phrasal verbs, phrases, and entries that are added to the crowdsourced Open Dictionary (e.g. autofiction). Compouns will often have recorded pronunciations but not IPA transcriptions because those can be looked up separately at the contributing parts of the headword.
The word’s inflections can be seen by opening the ‘Word Forms’ [7] box.
When a headword is shown in red, next to it you will find information about how frequent the word is, in the form of red stars [8]. The Red Words and Stars page provides more detailed information about word frequency in Macmillan Dictionary.
How are meanings shown?
If a word has more than one meaning, these are shown in separate numbered senses [9]. Meanings that are very closely related to the main meaning are shown in subsenses [10] (see further down the page for this) so that the connection is clear. Some entries contain derived words [11]. These are words related to the headword whose meaning is clear enough not to need a definition. These are found at the bottom of the entry.
Words that have five or more meanings will also include very brief definitions at the top of the page, with links to the relevant senses. These ‘menus’ can help identify the meaning you need for understanding a word in a particular context, as well as help navigate to the correct part of the entry to find more detailed information.
Most entries also give one or more examples [12] of how the word is used. Words that belong to so-called ‘decoding’ vocabulary will not include an example; high-frequency words will always have at least one example to show how the word is used in context.
What other types of information are included?
Every sense in the dictionary contains a Thesaurus [13] link to one or more lists of synonyms and related words. Clicking on this link will take you to the list on the Macmillan Thesaurus website, and from there you can access every entry in the list and browse for the best synonym or related term to use.
If a word belongs to more than one word class, for example if it is both a verb and a noun (e.g. question (noun) / question (verb)), or a noun, an adjective and a verb (pink (noun) /
pink (adjective) / pink (verb)), these are shown in separate entries on separate pages, with links in a box on the right of the screen (desktop) or at the top of the entry (mobile). This box also contains links to compound headwords, idiomatic phrases and phrasal verbs [14] containing the headword, so that entries related to the headword are immediately visible.
Some entries contain additional information, for example about a word’s origin (in a ‘Word Story’), grammar and usage, collocations, related vocabulary and metaphorical meanings.
What do the different parts tell us about the entry?
Frequency: At the top of many entries you will see one, two or three red stars. A word with three red stars is one of the most frequent words in English, two-star words are frequent and one-star words are fairly common. If an entry has no stars it is one of the less frequent words in English.
Definitions: Macmillan Dictionary was originally written using a strict Defining Vocabulary, a list of 2,500 words that lexicographers stuck to as closely as possible when writing definitions. An online dictionary makes a defining vocabulary less essential, because every lexical word used in every definition is linked to its dictionary entry, meaning that users can easily find the meanings of unfamiliar words. However, Macmillan Dictionary’s lexicographers still follow the principle of writing definitions in the simplest way possible so that they can easily be understood by less advanced users of English.
Examples: Most senses in Macmillan Dictionary have one or more examples that illustrate how the word is used with that meaning. These examples are selected from a huge corpus or database containing many millions of examples of contemporary English as it is used around the world. Examples are often shortened or edited to make them suitable for use in a dictionary, but they provide authentic models of how the word is used. Many examples are preceded by information about collocation and syntax: how words combine and which structures they can be used with.
Synonyms and related words: Every meaning in Macmillan Dictionary is linked to the Macmillan Thesaurus, a unique and rich resource that was developed at the same time as the Dictionary and in conjunction with it. At the end of each sense and subsense you will see ‘Synonyms and related words’. Clicking on this link will take you to the thesaurus entry for the meaning. For example, the sense of bargain that means ‘something that costs much less than normal’ is linked to the thesaurus entry ‘The quality of being cheap and cheap things’, where you will find a list of related words, each one linking directly to the relevant meaning. The sense of bargain that means ‘an agreement’ links to the thesaurus entry ‘Agreement and agreements’, where you will find links to senses with that meaning, such as ‘contract’, ‘deal’ and ‘accord’.
Labels: Many entries in Macmillan Dictionary are labelled to show you if a word is used in particular contexts. These include labels for specialist vocabulary (medical, biology); for dialects (if a word is used solely or mainly in American, or Indian, or Philippine English, etc.); and for register (if a word is formal, informal, literary, offensive, etc). You can find a complete list of labels on this page.
Additional resources: At the end of many entries you will find boxes containing additional information about the headword and guidance on how it is used. For example, at famous you will find a list of other ways of saying ‘famous’; at afford you will find a ‘Get it Right!’ box with guidance on the grammatical patterns that can and can’t be used with this verb; at pavement you will find a note about the differences between British and American usage of this word. Other boxes provide lists of collocations, metaphorical meanings of common words, guidance on avoiding offence, and word and phrase origins.
Crowdsourced content: The Open Dictionary is Macmillan Dictionary’s crowdsourced dictionary. Users can submit entries for words, meanings and phrases that are not covered in the dictionary. These are assessed to see if they really exist and are used, and accepted entries are published regularly.
If an Open Dictionary entry merits inclusion in the main dictionary, it may be ‘promoted’ and the submitter’s contribution acknowledged. You can submit an entry to the Open Dictionary by clicking on the button that says ‘Contribute to our Open Dictionary’.
Glossary of dictionary terms
Macmillan Dictionary also includes a useful Glossary of Dictionary Terms page, listing in alphabetical order words that you may come across when using dictionaries, or when you hear people talk about dictionaries.
Have you ever wondered how a word gets into the dictionary?
Does one person decide or does it have to go through a number of people before being granted permission to be published?
In this article, we will be looking at how a word gets into the dictionary.
So, how does it get into the dictionary then?
To put it simply a word gets into the dictionary when it becomes a popularly used word.
New words, such as slang and abbreviations are added to the dictionary once they start to appear across a substantial amount of sources and are regularly spoken.
Once a word is commonly used and there is an understanding of a common meaning it can be considered to be added to the dictionary.
The process is not instant though and can take years to appear in the dictionary.
Who puts a word in the dictionary?
The name of someone who puts together words in a dictionary is a lexicographer.
A lexicographer will monitor the usage of a new word, across printed material, online, and spoken word.
Firstly they collect information about where the word was written, printed, or heard alongside a contextual meaning.
From this, a database of research is created and researchers actively seek the use of the word across different backgrounds.
Once adequate evidence has been collated and a solid meaning is found, the word can be put forward to be printed in the latest edition of the dictionary.
The Oxford English Dictionary is updated four times a year.
Is there just one dictionary?
There is more than just one dictionary, but in English, the Oxford English dictionary is the most reliable and well established.
Oxford dictionaries have been around for a very long time, containing around 600,000 words and 3 million quotations.
When Oxford embarked on creating their first dictionary, they estimated that it would take around 10 years to complete.
The word “ant” was reached after five hard-working years and they realized it was an ambitious task.
They began work in August 1879 and it wasn’t until 1928 that the final volume was published, taking them almost 50 years to complete.
Can a word be taken out of the dictionary?
It is very uncommon for a word to be removed from the dictionary.
Oxford English dictionaries claim that they have never removed a word from their dictionaries.
Instead, if a word has become outdated or the meaning has developed or changed the word will be labeled as obsolete.
The concept of the dictionary is to be a record of all words that have ever existed in the language it is documenting.
For example, if you are reading a book from 1920 and there is a word you don’t recognize, you can use the dictionary to find out.
Why was the dictionary invented?
The desire to record language has been around for thousands of years with the first-ever non-alphabetical dictionary being written in 1582 by Richard Mulcaster.
This dictionary contained 8,000 English words but the book only contained what were considered to be complex words.
Later the first full English dictionary was written in 1604 by Robert Cawdrey. These first books were documents of language and the words used at the time.
The idea was to record the English language with word meanings so there was an ultimate record that everyone could have access to.
Much later in 1857, the Philological Society of London decided there should be a record of all words that have been used in the English language since the 12th Century.
This was when the idea of the Oxford English Dictionaries was born.
Are more words added nowadays than before?
On average between 500-1000 words are added to the Oxford dictionary every year.
It might feel like more words are added to the dictionary nowadays than compared with the 20th Century, but this isn’t necessarily the case.
One possibility is that as our connections and communications have developed, our ability to identify new words has become easier, and therefore it could appear that there are more new words today.
In conclusion, any word you can imagine could be added to the dictionary, it just needs to become popular first.
Once a word is commonly used across a variety of platforms by a diverse group of people it can then be considered for entering into the dictionary.
It also has to have an established meaning, so it can take years for this to become clear.
What is a dictionary?
A dictionary is a reference book about words and as such it describes the functioning of individual words (sometimes called lexical items). It does so by listing these words in alphabetical order in the form of headwords, the words listed as entries in the dictionary.
What is the difference between a dictionary, an encyclopedia and a thesaurus?
Even though this section focuses on dictionaries, it will be useful initially to distinguish between a dictionary, an encyclopedia and a thesaurus. Both a dictionary and an encyclopedia are reference works, but whereas an encyclopedia conveys knowledge about the world as we know it (e.g. things, people, places and ideas), the dictionary gives information about certain items in the communication system (the language) used by people to exchange messages about the world.
A further distinction can be made between a dictionary and a thesaurus, where the latter can be seen as a word book which is structured around lexical items of a language according to sense relations, most notably synonomy (words having the same or very similar meanings) (Kirkness, 2004).
Click on the link below to access the online version of the Encyclopaedia Britannica:
- Encyclopaedia Britannica
What different types of dictionary are there?
One distinction that can be made is that between dictionaries that deal with one single language and those that deal with several languages. Firstly, a dictionary that deals only with one language is called a monolingual dictionary. For example, English monolingual dictionaries like the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (LDOCE) or the Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (CCALD) have English headwords, English definitions, and all examples and additional information are given in English.
Secondly, a dictionary that deals with two languages (e.g. English-Swedish) is called a bilingual dictionary. For example, Norstedts Stora Svensk-Engelska Ordbok (Norstedts, 2000) presents headwords in Swedish, whereas meanings (translation equivalents) are given in English. Example sentences are often given in both languages.
Thirdly, a dictionary that deals with more than two languages is called a multilingual dictionary.
All these types of dictionary can furthermore be divided into general or specialised dictionaries. The general dictionaries, as the name implies, deal with the more general side of one or several languages. For example, Norstedts Stora Engelsk-Svenska Ordbok (Norstedts, 2000) is aimed a covering some 135,000 of the most commonly occurring words of English.
A specialized dictionary, on the other hand, focuses on a more narrow and specialized part of a language, for example the words used in engineering, medicine, aviation, experimental psychology, etc. The specialized dictionary is thus typically a subject-specific technical dictionary, but other types exist too, e.g. dictionaries of false friends, pictorial dictionaries, collocation dictionaries, idiom dictionaries, etc.)
For what purposes are dictionaries typically used?
Even though dictionaries can be used for many different purposes, a useful distinction that can be made is that between comprehension (decoding) and production (encoding) purposes. Nation (2001) provides the following lists of typical uses:
Typical comprehension uses are:
- Looking up unknown words that are encountered when listening
or reading - Confirming the meanings of partially known words
- Conforming guesses from context
Typical production uses are:
- Looking up unknown words needed to speak or write
- Looking up spelling, pronunciation, meaning, grammar, constraints
on use, collocations, inflections and derived forms of partly known
words. - Confirming the spelling, pronunciation, meaning etc. of known words.
- Checking that a word actually exists
- Finding a different word to use instead of a known one (a
synonym) - Correcting errors and mistakes
Since this website is dedicated to academic writing, it will make sense to take a closer look at the process involved in production (encoding) of written language and the dictionary use typically needed in this process.
What information can be found in a dictionary?
Whatever type of dictionary you use, it is worthwhile spending some time with the user’s guide, i.e. the initial pages that explain what kind of information is provided in the dictionary, the layout of the entries, and often also a legend that explains what the symbols used in the dictionary mean.
In terms of what type of information is given in a typical entry, here is an example of what is normally found in a mono-lingual dictionary (here based on the structure in the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (LDOCE):
1. Spelling: the headword itself is given in its normal spelling, printed in bold. Headwords are arranged alphabetically in a dictionary.
2. Frequency information: symbols indicating how frequent the word is in spoken and written English. In LDOCE the symbols are boxes with either an’S’ (spoken) or a ‘W’ (written) followed by a number. For example, a box saying W2 means that the headword in question belongs to the second thousand most common words in written English.
3. Pronunciation: phonetic script, given within parentheses ( ) or slash / / brackets, tells us how to pronounce the word (the pronunciation of the word is transcribed following the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)).
4. Word class: the word class (also called part-of-speech) of the word and other grammatical information is provided following conventional abbreviations, such as n for Noun and v for Verb.
5. Sense(s): when a word has more than one meaning, then the different senses are numbered. When a sense or a group of senses belong to a different word class, this is indicated. For each sense, a definition is given which at the same time also functions as an explanation of its meaning.
6. Collocations, phrasal use and the syntactic operation of the word: examples are given of how the headword may be combined with other words to form idiomatic language usage.
Naturally, dictionaries differ in terms of what information is provided and in what order, but the above example typically illustrates what types of information are included in an English Foreign Language (EFL) dictionary entry. As was stated above, it is worthwhile spending some time with the initial pages of a dictionary, where the entry structure and its symbols are explained.
- IPA (The International Phonetic Assiciation)
- IPA (The International Phonetic Alphabet)
- Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Using monolingual dictionaries when writing academic English
Generally speaking, a slightly higher proficiency in a language is needed when using a monolingual dictionary than a bilingual dictionary (see Nation, 2001). This is so partly because definitions of words may sometimes contain infrequent words themselves, and explanations of usage of words may sometimes require fairly sophisticated grammar skills. Furthermore, monolingual dictionaries typically contain much more information about each word than do bilingual dictionaries.
One potential advantage of using monolingual dictionaries, as argued by Baxter (1980 [in Nation 2001: 291]), is that it should become clear to the user that meaning can be conveyed by a definition as well as by a single word. Examples of dictionaries that are especially suited to writing English are the Longman Language Activator (LLA) and the Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English (OCDSE).
The LLA is a monolingual dictionary (English) which is structured around frequent headwords that can be seen to correspond to reasonably common concepts. For example, say we want to write a text about doctors. By looking up the entry doctor in the dictionary we get a wealth of information, such as the definition of the word, but more specifically we are presented with numerous examples of related words and concepts like physician, GP, specialist, surgeon, intern etc.
Moreover, we also get ample information about different kinds of doctors presented under headings such as «a doctor who treats mental illnesses», «a doctor who treats people’s teeth» and «a doctor who treats animals». This should provide a writer with a better and more nuanced understanding of what words to use in his or her text.
The OCDSE is a specialized monolingual (English) dictionary that focuses on the presentation of collocations. Broadly speaking, collocations are words that frequently occur together in a language, as used by native speakers. For example, in English the word combinations strong wind and heavy rain are natural-sounding collocations. However, *heavy wind and *strong rain are not.
The reason for this is strictly not a grammatical one. Rather, it has to do with the fact that certain words have, through convention, been used together with other words to the point that these words are now strongly linked to each other. Consequently, in order to write idiomatic English, a writer of a text must pay attention to how words are combined, not only in a strict grammatical sense, but also in a more lexical sense.
Even though a sequence of English is grammatically correct, it does not mean that the sequence sounds good when judged by native speakers. For example, assume that a writer wants to produce a text on pollution and how to avoid it. Although a sequence like avoid pollution makes sense, it might not be what native speakers of English would typically say or write. By looking up the word pollution in OCDSE, our writer can find listed a number of verbs that can be used to express finer nuances of the notion of avoiding pollution, for example combat pollution, fight pollution and tackle pollution. This illustrates how a dictionary like the OCDSE can be used to find naturally sounding collocations for known words (and concepts).
Using bilingual dictionaries when writing academic English
A bilingual dictionary (sometimes called a translation dictionary) is good when we want to find translations of words, be it going from our mother tongue to a foreign language, or from a foreign language to our mother tongue. Bilingual dictionaries are particularly good when we want to write something in a foreign language. This situation entails turning ideas into language which means that we want to find word forms to express messages. Bilingual dictionaries that go from the mother tongue (L1) to the foreign language we want to use (L2) is normally seen as an effective way of doing this (Nation, 2001).
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Of the approximately 1 million words in the English language, the average English speaker knows 60,000 of those words. Besides helping with spelling and word meanings, being able to use a dictionary effectively and regularly is a perfect way to improve your English language skills through the dictionary’s range of other helpful information on everyday language usage and grammar.
Dictionary Help
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Choose the right dictionary. It’s also a good idea to upgrade your dictionary every now and then so that you have access to the latest new words that are added to the dictionary every year.[1]
- Consider purchasing specialist dictionaries if they’d be useful in your study or career. Some examples of specialist dictionaries include language dictionaries, technical dictionaries, rhymes, crossword, subject dictionaries (for example, for math, chemistry, biology, horticulture, etc.), illustrated dictionaries (excellent for learning another language or for technical knowledge), slang and idioms, etc.
- Many universities have subscriptions to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) that provides in-depth information on the history and origins of the word.
- Note that many countries have their own native dictionaries that might be more helpful than sourcing a dictionary from just anywhere, such as the Macquarie dictionary in Australia, Oxford dictionary in England, Webster’s dictionary in the United States, etc.
- Some schools, universities, and workplaces prefer the use of one particular dictionary. This is for reasons of maintaining a consistent style and understanding among everyone using them; make sure you use the right one for your assignments, editing, and reports. Check the syllabus or employee handbook to find out.
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Read the introduction. The best way to learn how to use your particular dictionary effectively is to read its introductory section where you’ll find out how the entries are arranged. The introductory section of your dictionary will explain important information such as the abbreviations and pronunciation symbols used throughout the entries.
- Introductions to dictionaries explain things like how entries are arranged (they typically give the word, and the variations of the word; what part of speech the word is; pronunciation of the word; definition, etc.). Reading the introduction will give you a handle on how to find words and how to use the information that you do find.
- There may also be information on the pronunciation of words with similar spellings; this can be helpful if you have only heard a word and you’re not sure of its spelling. For example, if you hear «not», it might also be «knot» but the «k» is silent, and this list can help you with suggestions.
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Learn the abbreviations. Dictionaries often have abbreviations in the definitions for a word. This can be confusing if you don’t know what the abbreviations stand for. Typically a dictionary will have a list of abbreviations near the front of the book; either in the introduction or after it.[2]
- For example «adj.» stands for «adjective» and will tell you what kind of word the word you’re looking up is. «Adv.» or «advb.» can stand for «adverb; adverbially.»
- Something like «n.» can stand for at least three different things: the most obvious and common is «noun,» but it can also stand for «neuter» or «north» depending on the context. So make sure that you check the context of the word when you’re looking it up.
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Learn the guide to pronunciation. If you immediately jump right into reading the dictionary without understanding the pronunciation guide, it can be difficult to figure it out. Having an idea about the symbols of pronunciation will make it a lot easier for you.[3]
- The pronunciation of a word will be placed between two reversed virgules ( ) and will typically be printed in italics.
- A single stress mark (‘) precedes the strongest syllable in a word. A double mark precedes the syllable with a medium (or secondary stress) («), and the third level of stress has no marker. For example, penmanship would look like this ‘pen-m&n-«ship.
- The symbol & indicates an unstressed vowel. This symbol often intrudes between a stressed vowel and a following r or l, such as in sour ‘sau(-&)r.
- The symbol ä symbolizes the type of «a» sound that appears in words like «caught,» or «fought.» Compare this to the symbol a which designates the sound «a» in «mat, map, snap,» and so on. The word doesn’t necessarily have to have the letter «a» to have a type of «a» sound.
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Find the section of the dictionary with the first letter of your word. Dictionaries follow alphabetical order. For example, «dog» begins with «d» which means that it will be in the section after «c» and before «e».[4]
- Don’t forget the possible spellings for trickier words, such as «gnome» begins with a «g», or «psychology» begins with a «p», or «knock» begins with a «k», etc.
- If you’re not entirely sure what the first letter is, start with the letter it sounds like. If you can’t find the word under that section, then try other sections. For example, if you didn’t know that «psychology» begins with a «p» you might start looking in the «s» section. When you couldn’t find it there, you might try looking in the «p» section next because you can think along the lines of «psychic» and «psychosis.»
- Also, keep in mind that certain words sound alike that are spelled very differently. For example, «throne» and «thrown» are spelled differently and mean very different things. So be careful that you end up with the correct word.
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Read the guide words. These are the two words at the top of the page that tell you what types of words are on the page. These words will help you find the word you’re looking for in the right letter section.[5]
- For example if you’re looking for the word «bramble» you would begin looking in the «B» section. You would look at the tops of the pages as you went through it until you came to the page with the guide words «braid bread.» This tells you that all the words between braid and bread are on this page. Since «bramble» starts with «b-r-a» it will be in this section.
- As always, the dictionary goes in alphabetical order, so bramble (b-r-a) will come before bread (b-r-e).
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Scan down the page for your word. If you were looking for the word «futile,» for example, you would move past «furry» and «fuse» and «fuss». Since the example word begins with «f-u-t», go past all the «f-u-r» and all the «f-u-s» words alphabetically until you reach the «f-u-t» area of the page. In this example, move right down through «fut» and «Futhark» and this is where you will find «futile.»[6]
- If you’re looking up a word like “futilely” but can’t find it, look at the root work to see if it mentions the work you’re looking for.
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Read the definition. Once you’ve located the word it will tell you exactly what it means (and if it has more than one meaning, it will tell you the most common one first), how to pronounce it, how to capitalize it (if it’s a proper noun), what part of speech it is and so on.[7]
- Quite a few people get daunted by the definitions themselves because they can involve words that you have to then look up. Don’t feel discouraged. See if you can figure out the meaning from the example sentences provided and if not, look up the words you aren’t sure of.
- Dictionaries can also sometimes give the synonyms (words that mean the same thing as your word) and the antonyms of a word (words that mean the opposite of your word). So, for example, if your word is futile some synonyms might be «fruitless» or «unsuccessful» and some antonyms might be «effective» or «helpful.» You can also find near neighbor words such as «futility».
- You might also find an etymology, derivation, or history of the word. Even if you don’t know Latin or Ancient Greek, you may find that this information helps you to remember or understand the word. Check the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) for in-depth looks at the origins of the word.
- Dictionaries also often provide spellings in other English derivations (US English, British English, Australian English, etc.).
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Alternately, you could use an online dictionary. Online dictionaries are easy. Choose a suitable free online dictionary, or a subscription one if your place of work or study subscribes. Type in the word you’re looking for. The search engine will return the word to you and the definition section should contain most of the elements discussed above.[8]
- Make use of the audio content provided with online dictionaries. This can help considerably when you’re unsure how to pronounce the word.
- To use Google to find online definitions, type: «define: futile». The search engine will only look for definitions.
- Note that free services may not be as comprehensive as a subscription or book dictionary, so keep this in mind when you’re not sure that you’ve found the right answer. Always check at least 2 different online definitions for the word you’re looking for.
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Use the dictionary to find standard letter forms. Hard copy dictionaries (rather than online ones) often have standard letters for jobs, for RSVPs, for filing complaints, for various official writings.
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Research various facts. Dictionaries often have more than just words and their definitions. Some of them have lots of information about the world, usually in the form of various lists. These include geographical information (like maps, countries, cities, capitals, etc.)
- Hard copy dictionaries often have different weights and volumes, as well as conversion tables. This can come in handy if you need to convert pounds to kilograms or vice versa.
- You can also usually find statistics on population in various cities and countries, as well as lists of the flags of different countries, states, provinces, and regions around the world.
- Many dictionaries also have lists of famous or historical people, which you can peruse.
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Have fun! Simply browse a dictionary to enlighten yourself about new words now and then. Open the dictionary up to any page and scan the page for words that are unfamiliar or seem interesting. Pinpoint them, read the definition and try to add the new word to your thinking or talking during the next few days until it becomes a remembered part of your natural vocabulary.
- Play the dictionary game with friends. This consists of getting some friends together and a dictionary. The first player looks up a challenging word and uses it in a sentence. The other players have to guess if the use of the word is accurate or an outright fabrication. If a player guesses correctly, it’s their turn next.
- Another dictionary game: Each player chooses a word which should be familiar to the other players, then reads out the dictionary definition. The other players compete to guess the word as quickly as possible — perhaps even shouting out while the definition is still being read.
- Play Balderdash with a foreign language dictionary. Pick a random obscure word and then have people make up definitions along with having the real definition, having people guess which definition is the «real» one.
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Add New Question
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Question
Where can you find detailed instructions or explanations in the dictionary?
A dictionary provides definitions of words, but usually does not give detailed instructions on how objects are used. For that you will need to research a particular topic online or buy books related to that specific subject.
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If I just want to read a dictionary to expand my vocabulary, should I read everything about each word, or just the definition?
I would read everything about the word so that you get a full picture of the word’s meaning and usage.
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What are the parts of a dictionary?
Words, definitions (the meaning of a word), the pronunciation of each word using the special spelling and pronunciation key, and examples of how to use the word in a sentence. The dictionary may include synonyms of the word.
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Don’t be afraid to study the etymology of a word. Since much of our language is derived from Greek or Latin, you’ll often find yourself learning root words from them, but after you have, you’ll find that it can be easier to understand words that are new to you simply by looking at the structure of the word.
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If you’re having trouble spelling a word, try the spell-checker in a word processor and see what it suggests.
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Even though it’s easy to check words using an online dictionary, the free ones don’t always provide enough information, so it pays to always have a hard copy dictionary on your bookshelf to call upon whenever needed.
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Dictionaries vary in content, and some are very specific. Look at the title to find out what you have. If you have a dictionary of rhymes, slang, idioms, synonyms, a foreign language, or a specific interest, such as woodworking terms, seek a more general dictionary.
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Printed dictionaries may go out of date as the language changes, so check the copyright date of yours. Another way to gauge the currency of a dictionary is to look for relatively new words, such as «chick flick»[9]
or «metrosexual»[10]
.
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About This Article
Article SummaryX
To use a dictionary, start by finding the right section of the dictionary using the first letter of the word you want to look up. For example, if you want to look up the word «dog,» you would go to the «D» section of the dictionary. Dictionaries are in alphabetical order, so you would look for the section after «C» and before «E.» Once you’ve found the right section, use the guide words at the top of the pages, which also go in alphabetical order, to find the right page. To learn the meanings of all the abbreviations used in a dictionary, keep reading!
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