dictionaries

noun

plural of dictionary
as in vocabularies
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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dictionaries No screens, online dictionaries, spellcheckers or delete keys. — ABC News, 31 Mar. 2026 Password candidates came from custom dictionaries with as many as eight words, common keyboard patterns, and cracking rules. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 17 June 2026 Virginia’s Supreme Court majority sought an answer in dictionaries, which define the word as the act or process of choosing. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 13 May 2026 Following a few more years of work, the lexicographer—a studier or compiler of dictionaries—transferred his entire project online for anyone to peruse. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Feb. 2026 Adopt a sensitive data detection platform that’s access-control-aware and lineage-savvy and extend it with custom dictionaries and RegEx patterns. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 Christmas hams, party cocktails, elegant layer cakes, and cookout classics fill the dictionaries of Southern family recipes, but one of my favorites is a simple vinaigrette from my grandmother. — Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 2 July 2026 Although dictionaries are imperfect, their definitions are the result of the rigorous study of word meaning and adherence to the scientific process of lexicography, the practice of writing and editing dictionaries and other reference materials. — Phillip M. Carter, The Conversation, 28 May 2026 The club supplies 1,000 dictionaries each year for third graders at 10 Darien schools, as well as supports leadership training for high school students, NAMI DuPage, Humanitarian Service Project food for senior citizens in Darien, recycling events and environmental grants. — Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictionaries
  1. vocabularies
  2. lexica
Noun
  • Do the formal vocabularies that are supposed to encode my field actually capture how the people in it think?
    — John Drake, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • But more variations of Austronesian languages have been identified in Taiwan, accompanied with more intricate grammatical structures and expansive vocabularies, which has provided insights for linguists.
    — Wayne Chang, CNN Money, 17 June 2026
Definition of vocabularies
Noun
  • The evening leant into the 2016 King Kylie vibe—Kylie herself donned a bubblegum pink wig and matching latex dress—but Kendall and Hailey stayed firmly in their more understated style lexicons.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Anyway, Samuel Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English Language, to my mind, is the most astonishing of lexicons ever produced in any tongue.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
Definition of lexica

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“Dictionaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictionaries. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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