Thesaurus Meaning
/θɪˈsɔːɹəs/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA publication that provides synonyms (and sometimes antonyms and other semantic relations) for the words of a given language.
nounA dictionary or encyclopedia.
Sentence Examples
What's another word for 'thesaurus'?
Keep in mind that every field of knowledge has its own technical dictionary and thesaurus.
CEFR Practice Quiz
To find synonyms for the word 'happy', she looked in the ____ on her desk.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
I used a digital ____ to find a more interesting word to use instead of 'good' in my recent essay today.
Word Origin & History
16th century, borrowed from Latin thēsaurus, from Ancient Greek θησαυρός (thēsaurós, “storehouse, treasure”); its current English usage/meaning was established soon after the publication of Peter Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases in 1852. Doublet of treasure.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"As reference books go, the thesaurus has had a somewhat checkered history, in fact, and has probably occasioned as much bad writing as good."
— 2008 April 18, Charles Mcgrath, “The Keeper (See: Steward, Caretaker) of Synonyms”, in New York Times:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
To find synonyms for the word 'happy', she looked in the ____ on her desk.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
I used a digital ____ to find a more interesting word to use instead of 'good' in my recent essay today.