What Information Do All Dictionaries Provide for Each Entry

Anatomy of a Lexicon Entry

Macmillan Dictionary contains a great deal of useful information about words and phrases – information that sometimes tin can be difficult to navigate. On this folio we provide answers to some of the frequently asked questions about what a dictionary entry includes.

If at that place are whatever terms you are not familiar with, you might discover our Glossary of Dictionary Terms helpful.

What is a dictionary entry?

A lexicon entry is a ready of information that describes a word or phrase.

A typical entry in Macmillan Lexicon consists of:

• a
  headword [ane], which is shown in either black or red at the top of the entry;
• information well-nigh the word’southward pregnant or meanings, chosen
  definition(s) [two]. At the pinnacle of the entry you can see the
  number of definitions [three]
  listed;
• information about the word’s grammatical behaviour:
  give-and-take course [four]
  and any other relevant grammatical data.

At the tiptop of the entry there is an icon for the headword’south spoken
pronunciation [v]
as well as the phonetic transcription of the give-and-take’s pronunciation (using the International Phonetic Alphabet or
IPA symbols [six]). This information is not provided for phrasal verbs, phrases, and entries that are added to the crowdsourced Open up Lexicon (east.g.
autofiction). Compouns will frequently have recorded pronunciations merely non IPA transcriptions considering those tin can be looked upwardly 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 reddish, next to information technology you will discover information virtually how
frequent
the word is, in the form of
red stars [eight]. The Red Words and Stars page provides more detailed information about word frequency in Macmillan Lexicon.

How are meanings shown?

If a word has more than 1 meaning, these are shown in separate
numbered senses [9]. Meanings that are very closely related to the primary significant are shown in
subsenses [10]
(see farther downwardly the page for this) so that the connexion is clear. Some entries comprise
derived words [11]. These are words related to the headword whose meaning is articulate plenty not to demand a definition. These are found at the bottom of the entry.

Words that take five or more than meanings volition likewise include very cursory definitions at the height of the page, with links to the relevant senses. These ‘menus’ can help identify the significant you need for agreement a word in a detail context, every bit well as assist navigate to the correct part of the entry to find more detailed data.

Most entries also give one or more
examples
[12]
of how the word is used. Words that belong to so-called ‘decoding’ vocabulary volition not include an case; high-frequency words will always have at least one instance to evidence how the word is used in context.

What other types of information are included?

Every sense in the dictionary contains a
Thesaurus
[thirteen]
link to one or more lists of
synonyms and related words. Clicking on this link will have you to the list on the Macmillan Thesaurus website, and from in that location you can access every entry in the list and browse for the best synonym or related term to utilize.

If a word belongs to more than one discussion class, for instance 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
split up entries
on split pages, with links in a box on the correct of the screen (desktop) or at the summit 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 data, for case most a word’south
origin
(in a ‘Discussion Story’),
grammer and usage,
collocations,
related vocabulary
and
metaphorical meanings.

What do the unlike parts tell us near the entry?

Frequency:
At the top of many entries you lot will see one, two or three
red stars. A word with three red stars is one of the most frequent words in English, 2-star words are frequent and 1-star words are fairly common. If an entry has no stars information technology 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. Even so, Macmillan Dictionary’due south lexicographers still follow the principle of writing definitions in the simplest way possible so that they tin can easily be understood by less avant-garde users of English language.

Examples:
Nearly senses in Macmillan Dictionary accept 1 or more
examples
that illustrate how the word is used with that pregnant. These examples are selected from a huge corpus or database containing many millions of examples of contemporary English language as it is used effectually the world. Examples are oftentimes shortened or edited to brand them suitable for utilise 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 tin can exist used with.

Synonyms and related words:
Every pregnant in Macmillan Dictionary is linked to the
Macmillan Thesaurus, a unique and rich resource that was developed at the same time equally the Dictionary and in conjunction with it. At the end of each sense and subsense yous will see ‘Synonyms and related words’. Clicking on this link will accept 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 beingness cheap and cheap things’, where yous volition find a list of related words, each one linking directly to the relevant pregnant. 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 pregnant, such as ‘contract’, ‘deal’ and ‘accord’.

Labels:
Many entries in Macmillan Dictionary are labelled to show you if a discussion is used in particular contexts. These include labels for specialist vocabulary (medical, biological science); for dialects (if a word is used solely or mainly in American, or Indian, or Philippine English, etc.); and for annals (if a word is formal, informal, literary, offensive, etc). Y’all can discover a complete list of
labels
on this folio.

Additional resources:
At the end of many entries you lot will find boxes containing boosted information nigh the headword and guidance on how it is used. For case, at
famous
you will find a list of other means of maxim ‘famous’; at
afford
you lot will observe a ‘Get information technology Right!’ box with guidance on the grammatical patterns that can and can’t be used with this verb; at
pavement
y’all will find a note nearly 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’south crowdsourced dictionary. Users tin 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 accustomed entries are published regularly.

If an Open up Dictionary entry merits inclusion in the primary lexicon, it may be ‘promoted’ and the submitter’due south contribution acknowledged. You tin submit an entry to the Open up Dictionary by clicking on the button that says ‘Contribute to our Open up 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 beyond when using dictionaries, or when y’all hear people talk about dictionaries.