Advanced learner's dictionary

File:Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English.jpg

The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English. Special edition in two volumes (USSR, 1982).

The advanced learner's dictionary is the most common type of monolingual learner's dictionary, that is, a dictionary written in one language only, for someone who is learning a foreign language. It differs from a bilingual or translation dictionary, a standard dictionary written for native speakers, or a children's dictionary. Its definitions are usually built on a restricted defining vocabulary. "Advanced" usually refers learners with a proficiency level of B2 or above according to the Common European Framework. Basic learner's dictionaries also exist.

Although these advanced dictionaries have been produced for learners of several languages (including Chinese, Dutch, German, and Spanish), the majority are written for learners of English.

Printed

The best-known advanced learner's dictionaries are:

• Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, first published in 1948.
• Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, first published in 1978.
• Collins Cobuild English Dictionary, first published in 1987 and now published as Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
• Cambridge International Dictionary of English, first published in 1995 and now published as Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
• Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners, first published in 2002.
• Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's English Dictionary, first published in 2008.

The Macmillan dictionary is no longer being maintained: it went online-only in the 2010s and shut down entirely in 2023. So there are four popular learner's dictionaries for British English that are still active, while Merriam-Webster's aims for American English in particular.

Online

Online dictionary resources provide attractive support to advanced learners. The Open Dictionary of English is specifically designed to serve as a learner's dictionary. Visitors can register for free, adaptive tutoring, which seamlessly integrates with the dictionary.

See also

• Comparison of English dictionaries

External links

Crowdsourced

• Open Dictionary of English
• Wordnik
• Wiktionary

Commercial

• Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
• Collins COBUILD Advanced Dictionary
• Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
• Macmillan English Dictionary Online
• Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
• Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary