glossary

glossary — noun

1. a list of unusual or field-specific words with their definitions, arranged in A–

1.nounB1
Definition

a list of unusual or field-specific words with their definitions, arranged in A–Z order, typically appearing near the end of a book or article so that readers can look up unfamiliar terms quickly.

Example

Yara checked the glossary at the back of her biology book for the word 'mitochondria'.

glossary at the back of — typical book position

The cookbook includes a glossary of Asian ingredients for beginners.

Common collocations
  • glossary of terms
  • glossary of [subject: cooking/medical/legal]
  • at the back of the book
  • includes/provides a glossary
  • check/consult the glossary
  • glossary section
Synonyms
  • word list

    more general term — a word list may not include definitions, while a glossary always does

  • lexicon

    more formal and academic; often refers to the entire vocabulary of a language or field rather than a short appendix

  • vocabulary list

    focuses on words a learner should know, not necessarily difficult or technical terms

Grammar Patterns

glossary of [subject/field]

glossary + verb (includes/appears/has)

Usage Note

A glossary is smaller than a dictionary and usually limited to one text or subject area. It often appears as a section at the end of a book.

Common Mistakes

Check the index for definitions of medical terms.
Check the glossary for definitions of medical terms.
An index only lists page numbers; a glossary gives actual definitions.
The dictionary at the end of the textbook was very helpful.
The glossary at the end of the textbook was very helpful.
A dictionary covers the whole language; a glossary covers only the terms used in that specific book.

Word family

  • gloss
    nounC1
  • gloss
    verbC1
  • glossarist
    nounC2
  • glossarial
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all five resources list words, they serve different purposes. A glossary is the most restricted — it explains only the specialized or difficult terms found in one specific text or subject area, arranged alphabetically, and is usually an appendix. A dictionary covers the entire vocabulary of a language and is much broader. A lexicon is similar to a dictionary but often carries an academic or field-specific flavor (e.g., a lexicon of philosophy). An index merely tells you where terms appear on pages; it provides no definitions. A thesaurus groups words by meaning similarity rather than alphabetically and is used for finding alternatives. For example, if a physics textbook contains a list defining 'quark,' 'neutrino,' and 'boson' at the back, that section is a glossary, not a dictionary.

glossary ↗dictionary ↗lexicon ↗index ↗thesaurus ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • glossary section
  • glossary entry
  • glossary page

Phrases

  • consult the glossary
  • appears in the glossary
  • check the glossary for

Prepositions

  • in the glossary
  • at the back of

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'glossary' comes from Latin 'glossarium,' meaning a collection of glosses (explanatory notes), which itself is borrowed from Greek 'glōssa' — originally meaning 'tongue' or 'language,' and later 'an obscure or foreign word needing explanation.' The English form first appeared in the 14th century.