Longman Contemporary English Dictionary

Author: Pearson Education Limited, UK
Publisher:
Publishing Time: Not available
Features: The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (LDOCE) is one of the series of dictionaries published by Longman. With its accurate and clear definitions, LDOCE has been highly praised by a wide range of readers, especially students, both in the UK and abroad. The LDOCE published this time is the 4th edition. In addition to inheriting and retaining the features and advantages of the previous three editions, it also has the following significant characteristics:
1. Extensive Word List, Many New Words: The 4th edition of LDOCE fully reflects the current state of the English language, with a total of over 106,000 words and phrases, an increase of more than 24,000 compared to the 3rd edition. In addition to common vocabulary, it also includes a large number of specialized terms in fields such as science, technology, humanities, and social sciences, as well as many newly emerging words that highlight contemporary characteristics.
2. Rich and Diverse Examples, Natural and Idiomatic: The 4th edition of LDOCE includes over 155,000 example sentences, all sourced from the Longman Corpus Network, which contains 3 billion words. These examples are not randomly created but are selected from various real-life books, newspapers, magazines, spoken language, and online expressions. This helps learners better understand the use of words in specific contexts and learn "lively" English.
3. Comprehensive Collocations, Clear Organization: English collocations are flexible and varied, making them difficult to master. The 4th edition of LDOCE includes over 220,000 collocations, with detailed summaries and analyses provided for readers. To further facilitate reference for English learners, LDOCE also dedicates blue boxes to these collocations.
4. Practical and Detailed Sections: This dictionary features columns such as "Word Choice," "Word Focus," and "Grammar." In previous editions, the "Usage Note" was highly favored by English learners. In the 4th edition of LDOCE, the editors have further refined the "Usage Note" into three sections: "Word Choice," "Word Focus," and "Grammar," making its function even more comprehensive. The "Word Choice" section focuses on explaining the differences and usage of synonyms; the "Word Focus" section lists a category of words related to the main entry to help readers master vocabulary comprehensively, such as the "Word Focus" under the entry "marry," which includes words like "wedding," "bridegroom," "the best man," and "propose." The "Grammar" section focuses on explaining the grammar related to the entry. Additionally, LDOCE includes over 7,000 synonyms and antonyms in its definitions, offering readers unexpected gains when consulting words.
5. Full-Color Printing, Vivid and Exquisite Illustrations, Clear Layout: The most common 3,000 words are marked in pink, less common words in light blue, and indicator words with a blue background. Additionally, the dictionary uses various humanized symbols to facilitate easy reference.