vocabulary

noun

vo·​cab·​u·​lary vō-ˈka-byə-ˌler-ē 

və-

plural vocabularies

1

: a list or collection of words or of words and phrases usually alphabetically arranged and explained or defined : lexicon

The vocabulary for the week is posted online every Monday.

2

a

: a sum or stock of words employed by a language, group, individual, or work or in a field of knowledge

a child with a large vocabulary

the vocabulary of physicians

a writer known for employing a rich vocabulary

b

: a list or collection of terms or codes available for use (as in an indexing system)

… the oldest Sumerian cuneiform writing could not render normal prose but was a mere telegraphic shorthand, whose vocabulary was restricted to names, numerals, units of measure, words for objects counted, and a few adjectives.

—Jared Diamon

3

: a supply of expressive techniques or devices (as of an art form)

an impressive musical vocabulary

Did you know?

The Vocabulary of Vocabulary

For many people, the word vocabulary is primarily associated with the number of words that a person knows; one either has a large or a small vocabulary. But the word has many shades of meaning and is nicely representative of the nuanced and multi-hued nature of so much of the English lexicon.

Vocabulary may indeed refer to the collection of words known by an individual or by a large group of people. It may also signify the body of specialized terms in a field of study or activity (“the vocabulary of science”). It may designate a physical object, such as a book, in which a collection of (usually alphabetized) words is defined or explained. And it may name things other than words, such as “a list or collection of terms or codes available for use,” “a set or list of nonverbal symbols” (such as marine alphabet flag signals), and “a set of expressive forms used in an art” (as in “the vocabulary of dance”).

Synonyms

• argot
• cant
• dialect
• jargon
• jive
• language
• lingo
• patois
• patter
• shop
• shoptalk
• slang
• terminology

Examples of vocabulary in a Sentence

the basic vocabulary of English

She has learned a lot of new vocabulary.

He has a somewhat limited vocabulary.

Reading helped to expand her vocabulary.

the vocabulary of the art world

The Internet has given us a whole new vocabulary.

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s the only way to have our own narratives and our own vocabulary. —Lee Sharrock, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025

In his art practice, Johnson is known for his sharp meditations on race and class rooted in a more organic vocabulary steeped in sculptural and painterly traditions. —Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 10 Mar. 2025

Ultimate goal? To become an adjective, just part of the vocabulary. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2025

All that was missing was a grand unifying theory — a vocabulary to give voice to these intense cultural frustrations and draw a legitimizing connection between them and the Constitution. —Mattathias Schwartz, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle French vocabulaire, probably from Medieval Latin vocabularium, from neuter of vocabularius verbal, from Latin vocabulum

First Known Use

1532, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing vocabulary

• active vocabulary
• not in someone's vocabulary
• passive vocabulary
• vocabulary entry

Rhymes for vocabulary

• accretionary
• apothecary
• bicentenary
• certiorari
• concessionary
• concretionary
• confectionary
• confectionery
• constabulary
• contemporary
• deflationary
• depositary

Kids Definition

vocabulary

noun

vo·​cab·​u·​lary vō-ˈkab-yə-ˌler-ē 

plural vocabularies

1

: a list or collection of words defined or explained

2

: a stock of words used in a language, by a group or individual, or in relation to a subject