vocabolario

Vocabolario is an Italian noun that denotes a collection of words used by a language or by an individual. It can refer to the entire lexicon of a language, to a person’s active or passive vocabulary, or to a published reference work that lists words, their meanings, and their usage. In everyday Italian, the term is closely related to, but not always interchangeable with, dizionario.

The word derives from Latin vocabularium, from vocabula “words,” with the suffix -ario indicating a collection or repository.

In linguistics and lexicography, vocabolario is used for both the abstract lexicon of a language and for reference works. A monolingual vocabolario italiano provides definitions, usage notes, etymology, and examples. A bilingual vocabolario translates between Italian and another language. There are also specialized vocabolari for fields such as science, medicine, and technology. Education and publishing frequently produce base-vocabulary lists for learners and curricula.

In computing and natural language processing, vocabolario translates to “lexicon” and refers to the set of words recognized by a program or model.

Key reference works include Treccani’s Vocabolario della lingua italiana and similar dictionaries published by the Accademia della Crusca; these resources document standard Italian, usage, and history. The term also appears in education as a label for vocabulary studies, word lists, and glossaries that support language learning and literacy.