catalogue
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/2
A catalogue is the most detailed of these five words — it organises items systematically and usually includes descriptive information (dates, dimensions, provenance) beyond the item names. A list is simpler: just a series of items in some order, with no expectation of detail. A register is an official, ongoing record — births, marriages, students, guests — maintained over time by an authority or institution. An inventory is tied to business or stock control: a count of goods or supplies on hand, often with quantities. A directory helps you contact people or find places — names, addresses, phone numbers, or business categories. For example, a library has a catalogue of books (with author, title, publication date) but also a list of new arrivals (just titles). A hotel keeps a register of guests and an inventory of linens. A phone directory helps you find a restaurant, but a restaurant's wine catalogue helps you choose. Choose catalogue when you need detail and systematic organisation; use list when you only need names; register when the record is official and ongoing; inventory when the focus is quantity of goods; and directory when the goal is contact or location information.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'catalogue' comes from Greek 'katalogos' (κατάλογος), meaning 'a list, a register', formed from 'kata-' (down, completely) and 'legein' (to gather, to count, to speak). It passed into Latin as 'catalogus', then into French as 'catalogue', and entered English in the 15th century with the meaning of a systematically arranged list. The US spelling 'catalog' became common in the 19th century.