vocabulary
voh-KAB-yuh-lair-ee
/vəˈkæb.jə.ler.i/
The body of words used in a particular language or known to an individual person.
Can refer to the entire set of words in a language or the specific subset an individual knows and uses.
The story behind the word. Derived from the Medieval Latin 'vocabularium', a list of words. It stems from 'vocabulum', meaning 'a word or name', which itself comes from 'vocare' (to call).
Word relationships
- lexicon: Lexicon is more formal and often refers to the vocabulary of a specific subject or language as a whole.
- terminology: Terminology refers specifically to the words used in a particular field or activity.
Commonly confused with
- glossary: A glossary is a list of terms at the end of a book; vocabulary is the knowledge of words themselves.
Collocations
- extensive vocabulary
- limited vocabulary
- technical vocabulary
- vocabulary building
Example sentences
- "Reading widely is the best way to expand your vocabulary." Language learning
- "The technical vocabulary of medicine can be daunting for laypeople." Specialized fields
Memory hook
Vocabulary is the 'voice' of your 'ability' to speak. Vocab = Voice of words.
When not to use
Do not use it to refer to a single word; it represents a collection.
Fun facts
- The average adult English speaker has a passive vocabulary of about 40,000 words.
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