Oxford English Dictionary
Definitive English lexicon
The Oxford English Dictionary is the most comprehensive historical dictionary of English, documenting the language's evolution from the earliest records to the present.
Known by its initials OED, it traces words through dated quotations showing actual usage across centuries.
The OED added "selfie" in 2013.
First published in installments beginning in 1884, it remains the scholarly standard for English etymology and historical usage.
Vocabulary of a language
- unabridgedNot shortened or condensed
- volumesAmounts or books
- entriesItems logged or submitted
- headwordsMain dictionary entries
definitions · pronunciations · supplements · fascicles · online edition · subscription · second edition · searchable
Compiling word reference books
- definitiveSettling a question finally
- authoritativeHaving recognized expertise
- standardLevel of quality accepted
- prescriptiveDictating correct usage
descriptive · citation · quotations · usage · pronunciation · Murray · scholarship · attestation
Study of linguistic roots
- derivationSource or origin tracing
- rootUnderground absorbing structure
- borrowingTemporary taking of another's
- loanwordImported vocabulary item
cognate · historical development · etymon · word history · neologism · archaism · coinage
Study of historical texts
- linguisticsScience of language structure
- semanticsStudy of linguistic meaning
- lexicologyScience of vocabulary analysis
- MurrayAnglo-Celtic proper name
contributors · Bodleian · Victorian · compilation · revision · volunteers · Winchester
lexicon
Vocabulary of a language
- unabridgedNot shortened or condensed
- volumesAmounts or books
- entriesItems logged or submitted
headwords · definitions · pronunciations · supplements · fascicles · online edition · subscription · second edition · searchable · cross-references
lexicography
Compiling word reference books
- definitiveSettling a question finally
- authoritativeHaving recognized expertise
- standardLevel of quality accepted
prescriptive · descriptive · citation · quotations · usage · pronunciation · Murray · scholarship · attestation · documentation
word origins
Study of linguistic roots
- derivationSource or origin tracing
- rootUnderground absorbing structure
- borrowingTemporary taking of another's
loanword · cognate · historical development · etymon · word history · neologism · archaism · coinage
philology
Study of historical texts
- linguisticsScience of language structure
- semanticsStudy of linguistic meaning
- lexicologyScience of vocabulary analysis
Murray · contributors · Bodleian · Victorian · compilation · revision · volunteers · Winchester
- Oxford PublicationsOED
- dictionariesdefinitions, definition, entries, headwords, Cambridge
- British ReferencesOED, Roget's Thesaurus, Who's Who, BNF
- language resourcesthesaurus, lexicon, Merriam-Webster, word list, vocabulary list
- Linguistics OrganizationsACL, IPA
- linguisticslinguistics, phoneme, phonemes, morpheme, morphemes
Oxford English Dictionarythesaurus
Synonym and antonym compendium
Roget's Thesaurus · bilingual dictionary · style guide · translation dictionary · grammar handbook
Oxford English DictionaryUrban Dictionary
Crowdsourced slang glossary website
Wiktionary · Wikipedia · slang dictionary · social media · oral tradition
Oxford English DictionaryAcadémie française
French language regulatory institution
Oxford, English, dictionary, England, Englishman, Englishwoman, diction, dictionaries, dictate