vocabulary

/voʊˈkæbjulɛri/

/vəʊˈkæbjulɛri/

Other forms: vocabularies

Vocabulary is all about words — the words in a language or a special set of words you are trying to learn. Vocabulary is so important, we even created a web site to help expand yours.

First used in the 1500s to mean a list of words with explanations, the noun vocabulary came to refer to the “range of language of a person or group” about two hundred years later. A lot of hobbies, like fishing or knitting, require that you learn their unique vocabulary before you can get the most out of them. If you're in a rush, vocab is a faster way to say vocabulary.

Definitions of vocabulary

1. noun

   a language user's knowledge of words
   synonyms: lexicon, mental lexicon

   type of:

   cognition, knowledge, noesis

   the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
2. noun

   a listing of the words used in some enterprise
   type of:

   wordbook

   a reference book containing words (usually with their meanings)
3. noun

   the system of techniques or symbols serving as a means of expression (as in arts or crafts)
   “he introduced a wide vocabulary of techniques”

   type of:

   frame, frame of reference

   a system of assumptions and standards that sanction behavior and give it meaning