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Collins English Dictionary
Collins English Dictionary
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Collins English Dictionary Complete and Unabridged 13th edition

The Collins English Dictionary is a printed and online dictionary of English. It is published by HarperCollins in Glasgow.[1][2] It was first published in 1979.

Corpus

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The dictionary uses language research based on the Collins Corpus, which is continually updated and has over 20 billion words.[3][4]

Editions

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  • The current edition is the 14th; it was published on 31 August 2023, with more than 732,000 words, meanings, and phrases (not 730,000 headwords) and 9,500 place names and 7,300 biographies.[4][non-primary source needed] A newer edition of the 14th edition was published 7 May 2024.[5]
  • The previous edition was the 13th edition, which was published in November 2018.[6][non-primary source needed]
  • A special "30th Anniversary" 10th edition was published in 2010.
  • Earlier editions were published once every 3 or 4 years.

History

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The 1979 edition of the dictionary, with Patrick Hanks as editor and Laurence Urdang as editorial director, was the first British English dictionary to be typeset from the output from a computer database in a specified format. This meant that every aspect of an entry was handled by a different editor using different forms or templates. Once all the entries for an entry had been assembled, they were passed on to be keyed into the slowly assembled dictionary database which was completed for the typesetting of the first edition. [citation needed]

The computer database used for the 1979 edition was donated to the ACL Data Collection Initiative.[7][8]

In a later edition, they increasingly used the Bank of English established by John McHardy Sinclair at COBUILD to provide typical citations rather than examples composed by the lexicographer.

CollinsDictionary.com

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The unabridged Collins English Dictionary was published on the web on 31 December 2011 on CollinsDictionary.com, along with the unabridged dictionaries of French, German, Spanish and Italian.[9] The site also includes example sentences showing word usage from the Collins Bank of English Corpus, word frequencies and trends from the Google Ngrams project, and word images from Flickr.

In August 2012, CollinsDictionary.com introduced crowd-sourcing for neologisms,[10][11][12] whilst still maintaining overall editorial control to remain distinct from Wiktionary and Urban Dictionary. This followed an earlier launch of a discussion forum for neologisms in 2004.[13]

In May 2015, CollinsDictionary.com added 6,500 new Scrabble words to their Collins Scrabble Words dictionary. The words are based on terms related to and influenced by slang, social media, food, technology, and more.[14][non-primary source needed]

References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
The Collins English Dictionary is a comprehensive monolingual dictionary of contemporary English, encompassing definitions, pronunciations, etymologies, and usage examples for over 732,000 words, phrases, and meanings (as of the 2023 edition), with both printed and digital editions available. Published by Publishers, it originated as a major reference work first issued in 1979, marking a significant expansion in scope compared to earlier Collins titles. HarperCollins traces its dictionary publishing heritage to 1819, when William Collins founded the firm in , , initially focusing on Bibles, educational texts, and reference materials. The company's first dictionary appeared in 1824, a Greek-English produced in partnership with another publisher, followed by a series of illustrated, pocket, and gem-sized English dictionaries in the 19th and early 20th centuries that established Collins as a leader in accessible language resources. By 1902, innovations like the compact Gem Dictionary—measuring just 2½ by 4½ inches with 608 pages—highlighted the firm's commitment to portable, practical references. The 1979 edition of the Collins English Dictionary represented a modern milestone, drawing on editorial expertise to cover British, American, and global varieties of English with unprecedented detail, including thousands of new terms and real-world examples. Subsequent revisions, such as the complete and unabridged versions, have incorporated updates on , , and , while the online platform at collinsdictionary.com offers free access to definitions, a , translations, and annual "" selections to reflect evolving language trends. The dictionary serves students, professionals, and general readers as an English-language .

Publisher

Background and Founding

The publishing house that would become known for the was founded in in , , by William Collins, a self-educated mill worker, in partnership with Charles Chalmers, establishing a printing and publishing business initially named Chalmers & Collins. The venture began with the printing of religious and educational materials, reflecting Collins' commitment to making knowledge accessible to the masses, encapsulated in his guiding philosophy of "knowledge for all." This focus led to the production of the company's first dictionary in 1824, Donnegan's Greek and English Lexicon, published in partnership with Smith Elder to aid scholars in understanding classical texts, including the . Over the subsequent decades, the company evolved from a modest printer of Bibles and educational works into a prominent publisher, with Chalmers exiting the in 1825 and Collins' son, Sir William Collins, expanding the firm into broader publishing endeavors by 1848. Through a series of , including its acquisition by in 1989 and the merger with American publisher (acquired by in 1987), the entity became in 1990, forming a global powerhouse while retaining its roots in . The dictionary operations, under the Collins imprint, continue to be headquartered in , serving as the hub for the and division. This legacy of accessible educational publishing culminated in the launch of the Collins English Dictionary in 1979.

Dictionary Publishing Legacy

HarperCollins' Collins imprint has maintained a distinguished legacy in dictionary publishing since the early , establishing itself as a leader in producing innovative and accessible language reference works. The tradition began in 1824 with the publication of the first Collins dictionary, Donnegan's Greek and English , in partnership with Smith Elder, marking the entry into bilingual . This was followed by the first in-house production in 1840, the Pocket Pronouncing Dictionary, which offered compact pronunciation guidance for everyday use. Throughout the , Collins expanded its offerings with the Collins Illustrated Dictionaries series, introducing visual aids to enhance understanding and appeal to a broader , including students and general readers. These early efforts solidified Collins' reputation for practical, illustrated references that democratized access to language tools. By the close of the century, alongside publishers like Thomas Nelson and Chambers, Collins had become one of Scotland's key dictionary producers, contributing to the growth of the British reference market. Entering the , Collins achieved key milestones by introducing bilingual dictionaries tailored for language learners, such as the groundbreaking Collins Spanish Dictionary in 1971, which set new standards for comprehensive coverage and user-friendliness in translation aids. The publisher also pioneered learner-focused dictionaries, emphasizing real-world usage to support non-native speakers, thereby expanding its influence in educational linguistics. These innovations reflected Collins' commitment to evolving with global language needs, fostering market leadership in bilingual and pedagogical resources. In parallel, Collins embraced technological advancements to streamline dictionary production, becoming one of the earliest British publishers to implement computer-assisted and database-driven compilation in the late . This adoption improved accuracy, efficiency, and scalability, allowing for more dynamic updates and influencing production standards across the industry. By 2025, with nearly 200 years of continuous innovation, Collins continues to pioneer market-leading language products, underscoring its enduring impact on .

Historical Development

Origins and First Edition

The Collins English Dictionary was first published in 1979 by in , , as a groundbreaking new venture in . This inaugural edition built on the publisher's extensive legacy of dictionary production spanning over 150 years, since the founding of in 1819. It represented a significant departure from previous works by aiming to provide a modern, comprehensive resource for contemporary English usage. A key innovation of the 1979 edition was its status as the first dictionary to be typeset directly from a computer database, which revolutionized the production process by enabling more efficient handling of vast linguistic data. The project was led by an expert editorial team, with Patrick Hanks serving as editor and Laurence Urdang as editorial director, who oversaw the compilation and organization of entries drawn from diverse sources of British and . The dictionary offered comprehensive coverage of both varieties of English, including definitions, pronunciations, etymologies, and usage examples to reflect the language's evolving nature. Following its , the original computer database from the 1979 edition was donated to the ACL Initiative, making it available for linguistic research and corpus development in the field of . This contribution helped advance scholarly access to machine-readable resources during the early stages of digital .

Subsequent Editions and Updates

Following the initial editions, the Collins English Dictionary underwent periodic major revisions to incorporate evolving language usage. The 10th edition, released in as a special 30th , marked a significant update with refreshed content drawn from contemporary sources, ensuring alignment with modern English variations. This edition built on prior volumes by integrating new entries and senses reflective of global influences, maintaining the dictionary's commitment to comprehensive coverage. The 13th edition, published in November 2018, expanded the dictionary's scope to encompass over 725,000 words, meanings, and phrases, with more than 900 new headwords added to address emerging and technical . Key inclusions highlighted contemporary cultural shifts, such as terms from digital communication and scientific advancements, broadening its utility for diverse users. In August 2023, the 14th edition was introduced, featuring more than 732,000 words, meanings, and phrases, along with over 9,500 place names and approximately 7,300 biographical entries to reflect recent geopolitical and historical developments. This edition received an update in May 2024, incorporating additional refinements based on ongoing linguistic analysis. These revisions relied on evidence from the Collins Corpus to validate inclusions. Beyond major editions, Collins maintains ongoing annual updates to the dictionary, particularly through its online platform, to capture language evolution driven by global events, such as technological innovations and social movements, exemplified by the annual selection of a like "brat" in 2024 and "vibe coding" in 2025.

Corpus

Composition and Sources

The Collins Corpus serves as the primary linguistic database for the Collins English Dictionary, comprising a vast collection exceeding 20 billion words as of 2025, with recent estimates placing it at 24 billion words. This monitor corpus includes the Bank of English as a key , originally developed as a 650-million-word focused on representative English usage and now integrated into the larger framework. The corpus's scale enables detailed of contemporary patterns, drawing from diverse textual and auditory materials to reflect real-world English evolution. The corpus is composed of written texts from books, newspapers, websites, and , alongside transcripts derived from radio broadcasts, television programs, and everyday conversations. These sources capture authentic usage across genres, ensuring a balanced representation of formal and informal English. Material spans various time periods, with ongoing additions emphasizing current trends while maintaining historical depth for contextual analysis. Maintenance of the Collins Corpus involves continuous updates through automated web monitoring and lexicographical curation, allowing it to track emerging language shifts in real time. Since , crowd-sourced contributions have supplemented this process, with users submitting new words, phrases, and usage examples via the official dictionary website; the inaugural batch in September incorporated 86 verified submissions from over 4,400 proposals. This hybrid approach—combining digital scraping, expert selection, and public input—ensures the corpus remains dynamic and reflective of global linguistic changes. In terms of diversity, the corpus encompasses British, American, and international variants of English, incorporating examples from regions such as the , , , and to highlight dialectal and cultural nuances. Sourced from thousands of outlets including , , , and , it provides broad coverage of global English without overemphasizing any single variety. This foundational resource underpins the dictionary's entries by offering evidence-based insights into word frequency, collocations, and semantic shifts.

Application in Lexicography

The Collins Corpus serves as the foundational resource for lexicographers at Collins in crafting dictionary entries, providing authentic evidence of English language usage drawn from over 20 billion words across diverse sources. This vast database enables the inclusion of real-world citations and example sentences that illustrate how words function in context, such as full-sentence excerpts showing grammatical patterns and idiomatic expressions. Usage frequencies derived from the corpus further inform entry prioritization, highlighting common collocations like "key takeaway" to reflect prevalent patterns in contemporary English. Central to this application is an evidence-based approach that prioritizes descriptive over prescriptive rules, ensuring definitions are grounded in actual data rather than imposed norms. Lexicographers analyze concordances—contextual lines from the corpus—to derive meanings that capture evolving senses, such as the internet-related usage of "," thereby maintaining the dictionary's relevance to how English is spoken and written globally. This , pioneered in the COBUILD series, relies on corpus to populate entries with precise, data-driven content that avoids subjective judgments. The corpus plays a pivotal role in identifying neologisms and tracking lexical innovation, with automated scans comparing historical and current data to detect emerging terms. Since , Collins has incorporated crowd-sourced submissions from users via its website, reviewing words like "malinformation" against corpus evidence for authenticity before inclusion, which accelerates the dictionary's to linguistic change. This process ensures timely updates, as seen in monthly revisions that integrate new usages into editions. Integration of computational tools enhances this , allowing for sophisticated pattern analysis in word evolution, such as monitoring shifts in part-of-speech assignments or collocational preferences over time. Algorithms process corpus data to generate rankings and semantic clusters, aiding lexicographers in documenting subtle evolutions like the phrasal verb "weird out." These tools, combined with oversight, uphold the corpus's utility in producing rigorous, empirically supported lexicographic content.

Core Print Editions

The core print editions of the Collins English Dictionary include the flagship unabridged volumes and more accessible abridged variants, providing authoritative references for comprehensive linguistic study and everyday consultation. These editions evolved from the dictionary's inaugural 1979 publication, emphasizing empirical corpus-based definitions and broad coverage of contemporary English. The unabridged editions represent the dictionary's most extensive format, with the 14th edition, released on 31 August 2023, recognized as the largest single-volume English in print. This edition features more than 732,000 words, meanings, and phrases, alongside 9,500 place names and extensive etymological notes, compiled into a 2,336-page volume with 9780008511340. Earlier unabridged iterations, such as the 13th edition, similarly prioritized exhaustive inclusion of global English variants, maintaining the series' status as a benchmark for single-volume . Abridged variants, like the Collins English Dictionary Essential Edition, offer a condensed alternative for general use, containing approximately 200,000 words, meanings, and phrases focused on common and practical language needs. These are typically published in paperback format for portability, with the eighth edition providing clear definitions, usage notes, and supplements on common errors to support learners and casual users. Physical formats across core editions include durable bindings for unabridged versions, ideal for libraries, and flexible for abridged ones suited to personal or educational settings. Select updates, such as the "In Colour" paperback edition, incorporate color illustrations to enhance visual clarity for definitions involving complex terms or concepts. Distribution centers on the UK market through Publishers, with widespread availability in international territories via global retailers and educational suppliers.

Variant and Themed Editions

The Collins English Dictionary has produced several variant editions tailored for learners, particularly through the COBUILD series, which emphasizes corpus-based to provide full-sentence definitions, patterns, and contextual examples to aid comprehension and usage. The COBUILD , for instance, draws on the of English corpus to illustrate real-world applications of vocabulary, making it suitable for intermediate to advanced ESL students. These editions prioritize practical language support over exhaustive listings, focusing on idioms, phrasal verbs, and collocations to build . Themed variants extend the dictionary's utility to specific professional or recreational contexts, such as , , and . The Collins COBUILD English Dictionary targets professionals by defining key terms in , , and , with examples from global . Similarly, the Collins Dictionary and Guide covers anatomical, pharmacological, and therapeutic terminology, including entries, to serve healthcare practitioners and informed patients. For recreational use, the Collins Official Words provides an exhaustive list of valid plays, with the 2015 edition incorporating over 6,500 new words reflecting contemporary slang and global influences like "twerking" and "emoji." A more recent 2024 edition, released on 15 August 2024, added approximately 2,000 new words, including slang such as "bagsy" and "yeet," and is effective for tournament play from 1 January 2025. Regional adaptations address variations in English usage, notably through American English editions that incorporate US spellings, pronunciations, and idioms while maintaining the core dictionary's structure. The Collins COBUILD Learner's Dictionary, for example, features definitions attuned to North American contexts, such as regional expressions and cultural references, to support learners in US-centric environments. These variants ensure relevance for diverse audiences without altering the foundational unabridged content. Collaborative editions enhance bilingual resources through partnerships, such as the Collins-Le Robert French Dictionary, which combines expertise from both publishers to offer comprehensive English-French translations with idiomatic and cultural notes for professional and academic use. This approach extends to other languages, like the Collins Spanish Dictionary, providing bidirectional coverage of European and Latin American variants to facilitate cross-lingual accuracy.

Digital and Online Resources

CollinsDictionary.com

CollinsDictionary.com, the official online platform for the , was launched on 31 December 2011, providing free access to the full unabridged content of the . This marked a significant shift toward digital accessibility, allowing users worldwide to explore the complete resource without subscription fees, including over 730,000 words and phrases with detailed entries. The site was developed to mirror the comprehensive nature of the print editions while leveraging web for enhanced usability. The website offers a range of core features centered on reference, including authoritative definitions drawn from the Collins Corpus, a synonym finder (thesaurus), bidirectional translations across more than 30 languages such as French, Spanish, German, Italian, and Chinese, and dedicated resources with explanations, exercises, and usage guides. These tools support learners and professionals alike, with additional elements like audio pronunciations, example sentences, and word origin etymologies to aid comprehension. The platform integrates real-time examples from the Collins Corpus to illustrate contemporary usage. Since August , CollinsDictionary.com has incorporated crowd-sourcing by allowing users to submit neologisms and emerging terms, which are vetted by editorial teams for potential inclusion based on evidence of usage. This participatory approach has contributed to the dictionary's , capturing linguistic changes driven by , , and global events. The site receives regular updates to reflect these developments, such as the 2024 Word of the Year "brat" and terms related to and AI, as well as the 2025 Word of the Year "vibe coding," referring to AI-assisted using prompts.

Mobile and Integrated Formats

The Collins English Dictionary has been available through dedicated mobile applications for and Android devices since 2014, providing users with portable access to its extensive lexical resources. These apps, developed in partnership with MobiSystems, feature over 722,000 words, meanings, and phrases, along with verb conjugations and usage examples, enabling quick lookups during daily activities such as reading or writing. Premium versions of the apps include offline mode, allowing full dictionary access without an internet connection, which is particularly useful for travelers or in low-connectivity environments. Beyond standalone apps, the dictionary integrates with e-reader devices like , where users can enable a dedicated dictionary mode for seamless word lookups during reading sessions. This feature supports over 200,000 entries, including definitions and thesaurus links, enhancing the immersive experience on Kindle hardware and apps. Collins offers an API that enables developers to embed dictionary content into third-party applications, facilitating integrations in educational software for language learning and reference tools. Notable partnerships include updates to word game apps, such as the 2015 revision of the Collins Official Scrabble Words list, which added more than 6,500 new terms drawn from contemporary English usage to support official tournament play and app validations. Unabridged editions of the Collins English Dictionary are also distributed as e-books through platforms like , offering digital purchases of complete versions with more than 730,000 words and phrases for Kindle-compatible devices. These formats draw content from the core Collins corpus, ensuring consistency with print and online resources.

Key Features

Definitions and Supporting Elements

Entries in the Collins English Dictionary begin with a bolded headword, followed by phonetic pronunciations in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) for British and American variants, accompanied by audio playback options in digital formats. Each headword is then subdivided by parts of speech, such as , , or , with multiple senses listed in order of frequency of use, derived from corpus to reflect contemporary patterns. This structure ensures users encounter the most common meanings first, aiding quick reference for everyday queries. Supporting elements enrich each entry with authentic, corpus-derived example sentences that illustrate usage in real-world contexts, promoting a deeper understanding of idiomatic expression. Etymologies are provided for many words, tracing historical origins and linguistic to offer insights into . Collocations, or natural word pairings, are highlighted to guide users on typical combinations, enhancing precision in language production. The dictionary's coverage encompasses over 730,000 words, meanings, and phrases in its 14th edition (2023), extending to idioms, fixed expressions, and abbreviations to provide comprehensive lexical support. Visual aids, including images and diagrams, accompany entries for complex or technical terms in both print and online editions, facilitating clearer comprehension of abstract concepts.

Additional Tools and Innovations

The Collins English Dictionary integrates a comprehensive feature, providing extensive lists of synonyms and antonyms for over 500,000 words, along with definitions, usage examples, and word choice guidance to aid precise expression. This integration is available in both print editions, such as the Collins English Dictionary and Essential Edition, and digital formats like the official app, where users can seamlessly dictionary entries with thesaurus suggestions categorized by meaning and context. In digital versions, including CollinsDictionary.com and mobile apps, users access audio pronunciations recorded by native speakers for British and American English variants, as well as video playlists demonstrating common sounds and word articulations to enhance phonetic learning. Interactive quizzes on the further support building, offering daily challenges on word meanings, , and usage drawn from dictionary content. A key innovation in the dictionary's history occurred with its inaugural edition in 1979, which marked Collins' entry into large-scale general English as a substantially expanded compared to prior publications, with extensive illustrative quotations. By the 2020s, the dictionary has evolved to reflect technological shifts, notably through the annual inclusion of AI-influenced terminology, such as "vibe coding" as the 2025 , defined as using to generate computer code from natural language prompts. For word game enthusiasts, Collins maintains official word lists, updated periodically to align with contemporary language usage; the 2024 edition of Collins Official Words, endorsed by the World English-language Players' Association (WESPA), includes approximately 280,000 valid terms and is available via the dedicated section on CollinsDictionary.com for validity checks and strategic tools. These resources ensure players have access to the most current authoritative , with updates reflecting linguistic changes in , , and global English.

Reception and Cultural Impact

Critical Recognition

The Collins English Dictionary has been widely praised for its authoritative and comprehensive coverage of the , drawing on extensive lexical resources to provide detailed definitions, etymologies, and usage examples. Reviewers and users frequently highlight its depth, with the digital edition receiving an rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars from 1,587 reviews on the Store, where it is commended for its reliability and up-to-date content. Similarly, on , the print edition garners a 4.3 out of 5 rating based on 83 user assessments, emphasizing its value as a robust tool for both general and specialized needs. In the UK publishing landscape, the holds a market-leading position, bolstered by ' nearly 200-year heritage in language reference materials. A 2014 BBC report underscored this prominence, noting Collins' longstanding role as a cornerstone of Scottish and its contributions to standardizing English usage, with the latest edition compiled using a vast 4.5 billion-word database in , . This recognition reflects the dictionary's consistent commercial success, evidenced by its status as one of the largest single-volume English dictionaries in print, with over 732,000 entries in recent editions. Linguists and lexicographers have endorsed the dictionary's corpus-based , which prioritizes from real-world language use over traditional prescriptive approaches, ensuring greater accuracy in reflecting contemporary English variations. This approach, informed by the Collins Corpus of 24 billion words (as of 2025), allows for precise tracking of evolving meanings and regional dialects, setting it apart from more rigid counterparts. While no major literary prizes have been awarded specifically to the dictionary, its enduring high sales and integration into educational and professional standards affirm its critical acclaim.

Influence on Language Education and Usage

The Collins English Dictionary plays a significant role in language education, particularly in the United Kingdom and international settings, where its specialized editions support both native English speakers and English as a Second Language (ESL) learners. School-specific variants, such as the Collins School Dictionary, are tailored for Key Stage 3 and GCSE curricula, providing over 20,000 entries that align with educational standards for students aged 11 and above, making it a trusted classroom resource for vocabulary development and homework support. Similarly, the COBUILD series, grounded in corpus-based examples, serves as a foundational tool in advanced ESL programs worldwide, aiding teachers in vocabulary-building exercises and real-world language comprehension through authentic usage patterns. This integration into curricula extends to international schools, where Collins resources facilitate the teaching of diverse English varieties. In the media landscape, the dictionary functions as a key reference for journalists and broadcasters, particularly through its annual Word of the Year selections, which track and popularize neologisms emerging from cultural and technological shifts. For instance, the 2015 choice of "binge-watch" reflected and accelerated its adoption in UK broadcasting and print media, influencing how terms for digital viewing habits entered everyday discourse. Since 2012, Collins has solicited public and expert input for new entries via online campaigns, enabling faster incorporation of media-driven innovations like slang from social platforms, thereby shaping journalistic standards for word usage and verification. This process has contributed to the dictionary's influence on broadcast guidelines, as seen in its monitoring of evolving terms reported across radio, television, and online outlets. Culturally, the dictionary promotes by drawing on its extensive Collins Corpus—a database of 24 billion words (as of 2025) sourced from global media, , and spoken English—which ensures representations of diverse dialects, regional variants, and contemporary social contexts. This approach acknowledges variations across British, American, and other , fostering a more equitable reflection of multilingual influences and underrepresented voices in dictionary entries. By prioritizing corpus-driven updates, Collins affects global standards, encouraging users to adopt that bridges cultural divides and adapts to evolving societal norms. Its positive has further solidified this adoption in educational and public spheres. By 2025, the online platform CollinsDictionary.com continues to shape public discourse, with its accessible real-time updates and announcements driving widespread engagement through media coverage and user interactions, thereby influencing how new terms permeate everyday language.

References

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