glossary

noun

glos·​sa·​ry ˈglä-sə-rē 

ˈglȯ-

plural glossaries

: a collection of textual glosses or of specialized terms with their meanings

glossarial

glä-ˈser-ē-əl 

glȯ-

adjective

Examples of glossary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While some gamers have cited a lack of familiarity with the novel as a hindrance to understanding the narrative, the game does a good job of filling in details and providing a detailed glossary. —Richard Newby, TIME, 5 Dec. 2024

Creating study guides: Generate practice questions, flashcards, and glossaries based on uploaded course materials to actively test comprehension. —Steve Andriole, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024

This glossary will explain the method behind the different classifications, which dictate which athletes are eligible to compete in a sport and how athletes are grouped. —Charlotte Harpur, The Athletic, 28 Aug. 2024

There are a number of terms that appear in both this article and other online discussions of the Spelling Bee; a glossary of those terms compiled by Monicat, a Times reader, can be found below. —New York Times Games, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English glosarie, borrowed from Medieval Latin glōsārium, glōssārium, from glōsa, glōssa gloss entry 3 + Latin -ārium -ary entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

glossary

noun

glos·​sa·​ry ˈgläs-(ə-)rē 

ˈglȯs-

plural glossaries

1

: a list of the hard or unusual words found in a book

2

: a dictionary of the special terms in a particular field