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This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
preposition
of; concerning; in regard to: instructions about the work; a book about the Civil War.
connected or associated with: There was an air of mystery about him.
near; close to: a man about my height; about six o’clock.
in or somewhere near: He is about the house.
on every side of; around: the railing about the excavation.
on or near (one’s person): They lost all they had about them.
so as to be of use to: Keep your wits about you.
on the verge or point of (usually followed by an infinitive): about to leave.
here or there in, on, or over: to wander about the old castle;to look about the auditorium at the audience.
concerned with; engaged in doing: Tell me what it’s about. Bring me the other book while you’re about it.
adverb
near in time, number, degree, etc.; approximately: It’s about five miles from here.
nearly; almost: Dinner is about ready.
nearby; not far off: He is somewhere about.
on every side; in every direction; around: Look about and see if you can find it.
halfway around; in the opposite direction: to turn a car about.
from one place to another; in this place or that: to move furniture about; important papers strewn about.
in rotation or succession; alternately: Turn about is fair play.
in circumference: a wheel two inches about.
Nautical.
- onto a new tack.
- onto a new course.
adjective
moving around; astir: He was up and about while the rest of us still slept.
in existence; current; prevalent: Chicken pox is about.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Which sentence is correct?
Origin of about
before 900; Middle English aboute(n), Old English abūtan, onbūtan on the outside of (a-a-1 + būtan outside (see but1, but2), equivalent to b(e) by + ūtan), cognate with Gothic utana,Old Norse, Old Saxon ūtan,Old Frisian ūta,Old High German ūzan(a) outside; see out; cf. above, abaft for formation
Words nearby about
aboudikro, abought, Aboukir Bay, aboulia, abound, about, about face, about ship, about time, about to, about turn
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to about
around, almost, nearly, roughly, nearby, through, approximately, back, backward, round, anyhow, any which way, here and there, in general, practically, apropos, in relation to, in respect to, regarding, relative to
How to use about in a sentence
-
If the oft-talked-about college “hook-up culture” could be embodied by a place, it would be Shooters.
-
Thus far, the most talked-about Green Friday hotspot is Denver dispensary the Grass Station.
-
A former talked-about, maybe-presidential candidate, Andrew Cuomo now hints at Hillary for president at his own re-election event.
-
Her book, for example, does not discuss her buzzed-about, scantily clad Maxim photo shoot from last year, and so neither do we.
-
So when it was revealed he would instead be showing in New York, it quickly became one of the most buzzed-about shows of the week.
-
These stories by a round-about way, gathering in circumstantial detail as they travelled, had reached his sister.
-
A few carbine and musket shots, from the knoll and house, soon brought them to a halt, and sent them to the right-about.
-
A commotion, a squeal, a thrashing-about near at hand caused both to turn suddenly.
-
I’ve seen the night when Brocken would be tame beside the pandemonium round-about.
-
I soon found he was a regular millstone round my neck—particularly when we were on the “walk-about.”
British Dictionary definitions for about
preposition
relating to; concerning; on the subject of
near or close to (in space or time)
carried onI haven’t any money about me
on every side of; all the way around
active in or engaged inshe is about her business
about to
- on the point of; intending toshe was about to jump
- (with a negative) determined not tonobody is about to miss it
adverb
approximately; near in number, time, degree, etcabout 50 years old
nearby
here and there; from place to place; in no particular directionwalk about to keep warm
all around; on every side
in or to the opposite directionhe turned about and came back
in rotation or revolutionturn and turn about
used in informal phrases to indicate understatementI’ve had just about enough of your insults; it’s about time you stopped
archaic in circumference; around
adjective
(predicative) active; astir after sleepup and about
(predicative) in existence, current, or in circulationthere aren’t many about nowadays
Word Origin for about
Old English abūtan, onbūtan on the outside of, around, from on + būtan outside
Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with about
In addition to the idioms beginning with about
- about time
- about to
also see:
- at about
- beat about the bush
- bring about
- cast about
- come about
- do an about-face
- get about
- go about (one’s business)
- how about (that)
- just about
- knock about
- lay about
- man about town
- nose about (around)
- no two ways about it
- order someone about
- out and about
- see about
- send someone about someone’s business
- set about
- that’s about the size of it
- up and about
- what about someone (something)
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Get the most trusted, up-to-date definitions from Merriam-Webster. Find word meaning, pronunciation, origin, synonyms, and more.
Looking for synonyms & antonyms instead? Browse the Thesaurus
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
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
Recent Examples on the Web
From atop a desk the size of a French church door, Li extracted her favorite dictionary, Samuel Johnson’s 1755 Dictionary of the English Language, from a topography of books permanently unshelved.
—Alexandra Kleeman, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2022
No need to turn to the dictionary for this one.
—Dallas News, 9 Aug. 2022
Which word in the dictionary is spelled incorrectly?
—Lauren Wellbank, Woman’s Day, 1 Mar. 2023
And maybe some obscurity from the depths of the dictionary would be desperation only.
—James Brown, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2023
One aim of the dictionary is to do a better job acknowledging the contributions Black Americans have made to the English language.
—Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Sep. 2022
And for the third year running, our 19th sliver of the dictionary is still in the H’s.
—Pat Myers, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2022
Another dictionary, Merriam-Webster, also selected pandemic as its word of the year earlier Monday.
—Arkansas Online, 30 Nov. 2020
Manam Hpang, author of an English-Kachin-Burmese dictionary, said the Kachin had an acute sense of persecution as Christians in a Buddhist land.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 8 Apr. 2013
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 14 Apr. 2023.
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2 Apr 2023
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
Asked by: Joanie Fay
Score: 4.7/5
(44 votes)
A dictionary is a listing of lexemes from the lexicon of one or more specific languages, often arranged alphabetically, which may include information on definitions, usage, etymologies, pronunciations, translation, etc.. It is a lexicographical reference that shows inter-relationships among the data.
What does the word dictionary mean in English?
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.
What is a dictionary example?
A dictionary is defined as a list of words or articles that refer to a specific subject. An example of dictionary is a book with English to Italian translations. An example of dictionary is a book with legal codes and regulations. noun. 52.
What is the basic meaning in a dictionary?
1a : of, relating to, or forming the base or essence : fundamental basic truths. b : concerned with fundamental scientific principles : not applied basic research. 2 : constituting or serving as the basis or starting point a basic set of tools. 3a : of, relating to, containing, or having the character of a chemical …
What does literally mean dictionary?
What does the word mean literally? in a literal manner; word for word: to translate literally. actually; without exaggeration or inaccuracy: The city was literally destroyed.
37 related questions found
What is the best definition of a literal?
1 : following the ordinary or usual meaning of the words I’m using the word in its literal, not figurative, sense. 2 : true to fact She gave a literal account of what she saw. Other Words from literal. literally adverb. literalness noun.
What is the new definition of literally?
Gizmodo has discovered Google’s definition for literally includes this: “Used to acknowledge that something is not literally true but is used for emphasis or to express strong feeling.” But it doesn’t end with Google. Merriam-Wesbter and Cambridge dictionaries have also added the informal, non-literal definition.
What is the full meaning of the Basic?
BASIC (Beginners’ All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages whose design philosophy emphasizes ease of use.
What are examples of basic?
The definition of basic is something that is essential, or something with a pH level higher than 7. An example of basic is flour in a recipe for bread. An example of basic is sodium hydrochloride.
What type of word is basic?
basic used as an adjective:
necessary, essential for life or some process. «Flour is a basic ingredient of bread.» elementary, simple, fundamental, merely functional.
What is a dictionary and give suitable example of it?
A dictionary is a reference book or online resource containing an alphabetical list of words, with the information given for each word. Etymology: From the Latin, «to say»
What’s an example of an example?
Example is defined as something or someone that is used as a model. An example of the word «example» is a previously baked pie shown to a cooking class. An example of the word «example» is 2×2=4 used to show multiplication. … The squirrel, an example of a rodent; introduced each new word with examples of its use.
What are the types of dictionaries?
TYPES OF DICTIONARY:
- Bilingual Dictionary.
- Monolingual Dictionary.
- Etymological Dictionary.
- Crossword Dictionary.
- Rhyming Dictionary.
- Mini-Dictionary.
- Pocket Dictionary.
- Thesaurus.
Why is the word dictionary in the dictionary?
Why are dictionaries called dictionaries? One could argue that dictionaries are called as such because they tell the user how to say things. Or you could say that the Latin word dictio means ‘a word’, and so a dictionary might be seen as a compendium of words.
What is dictionary used for?
A dictionary is used to describe the meaning of a word. A thesaurus is used to group different words with the same meaning (synonyms) and similar words. For example, looking up the word «computer» in a dictionary would define the word like what is found on our computer definition.
How do dictionaries define words?
To be included in a Merriam-Webster dictionary, a word must be used in a substantial number of citations that come from a wide range of publications over a considerable period of time. Specifically, the word must have enough citations to allow accurate judgments about its establishment, currency, and meaning.
What are 5 examples of bases?
Some common strong Arrhenius bases include:
- Potassium hydroxide (KOH)
- Sodium hydroxide (NaOH)
- Barium hydroxide (Ba(OH)2)
- Caesium hydroxide (CsOH)
- Strontium hydroxide (Sr(OH)2)
- Calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2)
- Lithium hydroxide (LiOH)
- Rubidium hydroxide (RbOH)
What makes a girl Basic?
What does basic mean? In slang, basic characterizes someone or something as unoriginal, unexceptional, and mainstream. A basic girl—or basic bitch as she is often insulted—is said to like pumpkin spice lattes, UGG boots, and taking lots of selfies, for instance.
What are examples of bases in everyday life?
Examples of Everyday Bases
- Drain cleaner.
- Laundry detergent.
- Lubricating grease.
- Alkaline batteries.
- Soaps and bath products.
- Sugar.
- Baking soda.
What is basic in Tagalog?
Translation for word Basic in Tagalog is : batayan.
Does basic mean simple?
You can use basic to describe something that is very simple in style and has only the most necessary features, without any luxuries.
How do you use basic in a sentence?
of or denoting or of the nature of or containing a base.
- He can’t grasp the basic concepts of mathematics.
- The basic idea is simple.
- I really need to get some basic financial advice.
- Freedom of expression is a basic human right.
- The basic unit of society is the family.
- Contact with other people is a basic human need.
Does literally mean figuratively now?
Literally, of course, means something that is actually true: “Literally every pair of shoes I own was ruined when my apartment flooded.” When we use words not in their normal literal meaning but in a way that makes a description more impressive or interesting, the correct word, of course, is “figuratively.”
Is the meaning of literally changing?
Literally the most misused word in the language has officially changed definition. Now as well as meaning «in a literal manner or sense; exactly: ‘the driver took it literally when asked to go straight over the traffic circle‘», various dictionaries have added its other more recent usage.
How do you properly use literally?
In its standard use literally means ‘in a literal sense, as opposed to a non-literal or exaggerated sense’, for example: I told him I never wanted to see him again, but I didn’t expect him to take it literally. They bought the car and literally ran it into the ground.
dic·tion·ar·y
(dĭk′shə-nĕr′ē)
n. pl. dic·tion·ar·ies
1. A reference work containing an alphabetical list of words, with information given for each word, usually including meaning, pronunciation, and etymology.
2. A reference work containing an alphabetical list of words in one language with their translations in another language.
3. A reference work containing an alphabetical list of words in a particular category or subject with specialized information about them: a medical dictionary.
4. A list of words stored in machine-readable form for reference, as by spelling-checking software.
[Medieval Latin dictiōnārium, from Latin dictiō, dictiōn-, diction; see diction.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
dictionary
(ˈdɪkʃənərɪ; -ʃənrɪ)
n, pl -aries
1. (Library Science & Bibliography)
a. a reference resource, in printed or electronic form, that consists of an alphabetical list of words with their meanings and parts of speech, and often a guide to accepted pronunciation and syllabification, irregular inflections of words, derived words of different parts of speech, and etymologies
b. a similar reference work giving equivalent words in two or more languages. Such dictionaries often consist of two or more parts, in each of which the alphabetical list is given in a different language: a German-English dictionary.
2. (Library Science & Bibliography) a reference publication listing words or terms of a particular subject or activity, giving information about their meanings and other attributes: a dictionary of gardening.
3. (Library Science & Bibliography) a collection of information or examples with the entries alphabetically arranged: a dictionary of quotations.
[C16: from Medieval Latin dictiōnārium collection of words, from Late Latin dictiō word; see diction]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
dic•tion•ar•y
(ˈdɪk ʃəˌnɛr i)
n., pl. -ar•ies.
1. a book containing a selection of the words of a language, usu. arranged alphabetically, with information about their meanings, pronunciations, etymologies, inflected forms, etc., expressed in either the same or another language.
2. a book giving information on particular subjects or on a particular class of words, names, or facts, usu. arranged alphabetically: a biographical dictionary.
3. a list of words used by a word-processing program to check spellings in text.
[1520–30; < Medieval Latin dictiōnārium,dictiōnārius < Late Latin dictiōn- word (see diction)]
Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
dictionary
— Based on Latin dictio(n-), «mode of expression» or «word,» then dictionarius, «a repertory of words or phrases.»
See also related terms for mode.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
dictionary
noun wordbook, vocabulary, glossary, encyclopedia, lexicon, concordance, word list, vocabulary list If you don’t know what it means, look it up in the dictionary.
Quotations
«Dictionaries are like watches; the worst is better than none, and the best cannot be expected to go quite true» [Dr. Johnson]
«When I feel inclined to read poetry I take down my Dictionary. The poetry of words is quite as beautiful as that of sentences. The author may arrange the gems effectively, but their shape and lustre have been given by the attrition of the ages» [Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. The Autocrat’s Autobiography]
«dictionary: a malevolent literary device for cramping the growth of a language and making it hard and inelastic. This dictionary, however, is a most useful work» [Ambrose Bierce The Devil’s Dictionary]
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
dictionary
noun
An alphabetical list of words often defined or translated:
The American Heritage® Roget’s Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
woordeboek
قاموسقَامُوسكِتاب معلومات مُرَتَّبَةٌ أبْجَدِيّامعجم
речник
diccionari
slovník
ordboghåndbogleksikonopslagsbog
vortaro
sõnaraamatsõnastik
sanakirja
कोशशब्दकोश
rječnik
szótár
kamus
orðabókorîabókuppsláttarrit
辞書
사전
dictionarium
žodynas
vārdnīca
dicţionar
slovník
slovar
ordboklexikon
พจนานุกรม
словник
từ điểntự điển
Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
dictionary
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
dictionary
(ˈdikʃənəri) – plural ˈdictionaries – noun
1. a book containing the words of a language alphabetically arranged, with their meanings etc. This is an English dictionary.
2. a book containing other information alphabetically arranged. a dictionary of place-names.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
dictionary
→ قَامُوس slovník ordbog Wörterbuch λεξικό diccionario sanakirja dictionnaire rječnik dizionario 辞書 사전 woordenboek ordbok słownik dicionário словарь ordbok พจนานุกรม sözlük từ điển 词典
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
word noun
(LANGUAGE UNIT)
the F-word, C-word, etc.
You’re still not allowed to say the F-word on TV in the US
So how’s the diet going — or would you rather I didn’t mention the d-word?
word noun
(TALKING)
a good word
If you see the captain could you put in a good word for me?
More examplesFewer examples
- Could I have a word with you in private?
- Incidentally, I wanted to have a word with you about your expenses claim.
- Can I have a little word with you?
- When you’ve got a minute, I’d like a brief word with you.
- Could I have a quick word ?
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
word noun
(NEWS)
Has there been any word from Paul since he went to New York?
word noun
(PROMISE)
word noun
(ORDER)
Idioms
to choose the words you use when you are saying or writing something:
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
(Definition of word from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
word | American Dictionary
word noun
(LANGUAGE UNIT)
word noun
(BRIEF STATEMENT)
Could I have a word with you?
Let me give you a word of advice.
Tell us what happened in your own words (= say it in your own way).
word noun
(NEWS)
word noun
(PROMISE)
You have my word – I won’t tell a soul.
She wouldn’t give me her word if she didn’t mean to keep it.
word noun
(ORDER)
If you want me to leave, just say/give the word.
worded
Idioms
word verb [T always + adv/prep]
(LANGUAGE UNIT)
(Definition of word from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)
word | Business English
words and figures differ
BANKING, MONEY
(also words and figures do not agree)
(Definition of word from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)
Examples of word
word
From first words to grammar : individual differences and dissociable mechanisms.
The word permitted a nonscientific psychological preoccupation to reappear as the subject of scientific experiment.
Morphology by itself in planning the production of spoken words.
The zero plural avoids the problem of having two sibilants in quick succession at the end of the words, and coincidentally maintains the classical tradition.
In comparison to ordinary conversations, less common words are employed in both informational and narrative texts.
Here was a version of philosophical commerce closer to our own definition of the word «commerce,» yet one intimately related to practice.
It was also easier at this stage to identify words on a phonetic basis.
Phonetic transcription reveals that many of children’s early uses of wh- words are phonetically reduced and part of fixed sequences.
This could be due to a purely syntactic difference between number words and adjectives.
First, word forms can be accessed and recognized via the mental representations of their constituent morphemes.
Thus, changes in known lexical representations may lead to changes in homonym learning but not novel word learning.
In the model, word final stops and fricatives were given weaker representations in the normal case to reflect their lower salience.
But this doesn’t necessarily mean that the locus of thought is natural language representations (words, syntax, phonology).
Do bilinguals activate phonological representations in one or both of their languages when naming words?
Accessing conceptual representations for words in a second language.
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
Collocations with word
These are words often used in combination with word.
Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.
archaic word
The second is plaiting it into what are called sennets—an appropriately archaic word—and the third is turning them into matting.
bandy words
First of all, it gave the accused an opportunity to bandy words with the king’s ministers.
cautionary word
This cautionary word continued to be voiced in the twentieth century.
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.