Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised May 28, 2026

Explanatory dictionary

An explanatory dictionary or defining dictionary is a dictionary that provides definitions of word meanings at its entries. It may give additional information on pronunciation, grammar, etymology, and so on. In practice, it is equivalent to a monolingual general dictionary. Such dictionaries are usually meant for native speakers of the language.

Last revised
May 28, 2026
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An explanatory dictionary or defining dictionary is a dictionary that provides definitions of word meanings at its entries.1 It may give additional information on pronunciation, grammar, etymology, and so on. In practice, it is equivalent to a monolingual general dictionary.12 Such dictionaries are usually meant for native speakers of the language.

References

References

  1. Hartmann, Reinhard Rudolf Karl; James, Gregory (2002). Dictionary of Lexicography. London: Routledge. p. 36. The monolingual general dictionary ... is therefore also often called [a] defining dictionary or explanatory dictionary
  2. "Types of Dictionaries". An Introduction to Lexicography.