Dictionaire

Dictionaire is a reference work that lists the words of a language in an organized form, usually alphabetical, and provides information intended to help readers understand and use the words correctly. In general usage, a dictionaire covers meanings, pronunciations, and examples of usage, and may also include notes on grammar, etymology, and spelling variants. The concept encompasses both monolingual dictionaries and bilingual or multilingual dictionaries, as well as specialized lexicons.

There are several types of dictionaire. General-purpose monolingual dictionaries describe the vocabulary of a language for a broad audience. Bilingual or multilingual dictionaires translate words between languages. Specialized dictionaries focus on specific subjects such as law, medicine, technology, or slang. In the digital era, most dictionaires are available online or as apps, often with features like audio pronunciations, morphological search, frequency data, and editable entries.

Historically, dictionary-making has evolved from early glossaries and word lists to comprehensive lexicography. Ancient and medieval traditions produced glossaries in Greek, Latin, Arabic, and other languages. The modern era saw large national dictionaries, such as Samuel Johnson’s English dictionary and the Oxford English Dictionary, followed by rapid expansion in digital formats and open data projects. The field now blends descriptive linguistics with user-oriented design, balancing historical etymology, contemporary usage, and transparent editorial standards.

Note on terminology: the standard French spelling is dictionnaire; dictionaire is not common in French and may be encountered as a misspelling or Anglophone variant. In English, the corresponding term is dictionary, while glossary and lexicon describe related but distinct kinds of word lists. The root is the Latin dictionarium, from diction-, “word.”