By 2050, it is estimated that fifty percent of the world’s population will have some competence in English. Many of these people will regard themselves as improvers rather than learners and will have only occasional need to quickly check the meaning of a word in a dictionary.
This dictionary is a portable, easy-to-use quick reference tool for a large number of words and phrases, rather than a substitute for the detailed guidance of a grammar or course book. It includes commonly heard terms, with an indication of their relevant frequency, and many more terms from the worlds of work and communication and of modern society generally.
Each word is individually defined, and no words, not even adverbs, are listed without a definition. Examples and collocations are given for words that are likely to be used in practice, in order to provide patterns for the user’s own production of English sentences. Less frequently encountered words, which only need to be recognised and understood, are given definitions only. Each word, including compound words and phrasal verbs, has its own easy-to-find main entry in bold type. Each word has a pronunciation in the International Phonetic Alphabet. Typical phrases and idioms associated with the main term are shown in bold type and separately defined within the entry. The meaning of the main senses of each word is given clearly and simply, using a limited and easily understood vocabulary. Meanings are grouped together by their part of speech.
Extra help is offered in Notes at the end of some entries. These include unusual inflected forms and warnings about words which sound the same but have different spellings and can be confused with each other. The major differences in US and British spelling are also noted. Synonyms and antonyms (opposites) are given for many words.
