Customer Reviews

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Being a university student, a dictionary that is compact enough to fit in a backpack amongst many textbooks is a must. This, the latest edition of the M-W Dictionary, fits that requirement. The text is easy to read and there is even a nifty reference section at the back containing "foreign words & phrases, biographical names, and geographical names".

I rate it at 3 stars because although the cover boasts "Over 75,000 definitions", words such as ontological and multivalent are not included.

I highly recommend this dictionary for students at the high school level, but university students should keep searching.

I have a old hard cover Webster's collegiate dictionary that my parents gave me before I went to college sitting under my bed. I also have a huge 2 volume Oxford Shorter English dictionary gathering dust in my closet. I even have a unabridged Random House dictionary on the very computer I am writing this review on. I use all of the above occasionally, but the one I use the most is this little paperback dictionary that sits on my desk beside my bed. It usually has what I'm looking for and I rarely have to use one of the bigger dictionaries. The size is nice and it is light weignt so it is easy to carry around if you have to. If you need a small desk dictionary this is a good one.

I bought this for my son who is in grade 5, he had the cheap dollar store one, he was fed up with not finding words he needed for his project, i thought ok its for college students, but he loves it,...loves showing me new words he has learned...Great buy.

This dictionary has everything I wanted in a small, inexpensive dictionary. It has the briefest possible descriptions for each word. Yet so far it has had all the words I've need to look up, except for just one. It doesn't tell you the root meanings or origins of the words. It basically gives one or two synonyms. It seems to be meant for exactly what I use it for-- reading in bed, needing something handy but small for quick word lookups.

I bought this for grade school children. They needed a real dictionary like this one, not a kiddie dictionary. This dictionary is what I wanted. It has any word they could use at this age level, plus it will help build their skills looking up words in a dictionary (I know that sounds funny, but it's sad to see kids who are not able to use a dictionary). Great price for what you get. We also have the Collegiate Dictionary which has more words and better etymology for the really tough words or for more in depth word study.

Good dictionary for the price. Still plenty of words not in there that we were looking for. Guess we'll have to upgrade for the hard words.

I think this is just about one of the most comprehensive little dictionaries I've seen. For the price and the fact that it is compact, it is a great buy. I bought 20 for my 7th and 8th graders and they have been worth every penny! My only complaint is that the ink comes off on their fingers, just like newsprint. Their fingers are black after using them. Hope this is just temporary due to the fact that they are new.

The type is too small, the quality of the print poor and the pages and cover are neither well nor consistently centered. I prefer a dictionary that provides at least a brief etymology, which helps me remember the definition of a word that is new to me; there are very few entries that provide this important information. During a recent read of PD James that had several words unfamiliar or unknown to me, I was disappointed to find no entry for some and had to go to another dictionary (a Webster's Collegiate fifth edition from 1941) to find the words. Certainly better than nothing for quick "look-ups", but not more than that.

Print is microscopic. Need a really good magnifying glass to read this. Plan on returning this item and hope to find a large print edition.

I wanted a dictionary that would be a great size to have by my side while I read books, in case I need to look up a word. This dictionary fits the bill perfectly. About the size of a mass market paperback, this dictionary is easy to hold and look through, compared to a larger, more unwieldy dictionary. I have only had a word or two that I could not find in it so far...and there are many other pieces of information that make up for the lack of the esoteric word or two...a periodic taps, some maps, etc.