Labels key
Labels appear as small chips on an entry or a sense. They come from five closed sets written in plain words for this dictionary.
Register
How formal the word is, and warnings for words that offend.
| Label | Meaning |
|---|---|
| formal | used in serious, official, or academic speech and writing; would sound stiff in casual talk |
| informal | used in casual speech and writing among friends and family; avoided in formal writing |
| very informal | used only in relaxed speech and casual messages; out of place in most writing |
| slang | very informal language used by a particular group, often new and often short-lived |
| humorous | used to be funny or playful |
| literary | found mainly in poetry, novels, and elevated writing, not in ordinary speech |
| technical | used mainly by specialists in the field named by the domain label |
| vulgar | a rude word for sex, the body, or body functions that many people find offensive |
| offensive | a word that insults or is likely to hurt a person or group; use with great care or not at all |
| polite | a word chosen to be respectful or to avoid a more direct word |
| childish | used by or to young children: tummy, doggie |
Region
The variety of English in which the word or sense is mainly used. The set is open-ended by design so that World Englishes can be added by a logged decision; 'online' marks forms that belong to no region.
| Label | Meaning |
|---|---|
| American | mainly used in the United States |
| British | mainly used in the United Kingdom |
| Australian | mainly used in Australia |
| New Zealand | mainly used in New Zealand |
| Canadian | mainly used in Canada |
| Irish | mainly used in Ireland |
| Scottish | mainly used in Scotland |
| Indian | mainly used in India |
| Pakistani | mainly used in Pakistan |
| Singaporean | mainly used in Singapore |
| Malaysian | mainly used in Malaysia |
| Philippine | mainly used in the Philippines |
| Nigerian | mainly used in Nigeria |
| South African | mainly used in South Africa |
| Caribbean | mainly used in the English-speaking Caribbean |
| online | used mainly in online writing and not tied to any region |
Domain
The field of knowledge or activity a word or sense belongs to. Used only when the word is tied to the field, not for every word that can appear in it.
| Label | Meaning |
|---|---|
| agriculture | farming and growing food |
| animals | animals and their behaviour |
| architecture | the design of buildings |
| art | painting, sculpture, design, and photography |
| astronomy | stars, planets, and space |
| aviation | aircraft and flying |
| biology | living things and how they work |
| business | companies, trade, and management |
| chemistry | substances and how they combine |
| clothing | clothes and fashion |
| computing | computers, software, and the internet |
| cooking | preparing food |
| crime | crime and the police |
| economics | the economy and economic theory |
| education | schools, universities, and teaching |
| engineering | designing and building machines and structures |
| environment | the natural environment, pollution, and climate |
| film and television | films, television, and video |
| finance | money, banking, and investment |
| food | food and drink |
| games | games, gambling, and puzzles |
| geography | the earth's surface, maps, and places |
| geology | rocks and the structure of the earth |
| government | the state, public administration, and public services |
| grammar | the structure of language and terms for talking about it |
| history | the study of the past |
| human body | parts of the body and how it works |
| law | the law and the courts |
| literature | novels, poetry, plays, and criticism |
| mathematics | numbers, shapes, and calculation |
| media | newspapers, journalism, and publishing |
| medicine | illness, treatment, and health care |
| military | armed forces and war |
| music | music and musicians |
| philosophy | ideas about knowledge, existence, and right and wrong |
| physics | matter, energy, and forces |
| plants | plants and gardening |
| politics | politics and elections |
| psychology | the mind and behaviour |
| religion | religion and belief |
| science | science in general, when no narrower field fits |
| sex | sex and sexuality, in neutral or clinical use |
| sport | sports and physical games |
| technology | machines, devices, and industrial processes |
| theatre | plays, acting, and performance |
| transport | vehicles, roads, railways, and travel |
| weather | weather and climate as experienced day to day |
Currency
Words that sound old, words for things of the past, and words that are new.
| Label | Meaning |
|---|---|
| old-fashioned | still used and understood, but sounds like the language of an older generation |
| dated | no longer in ordinary use, though older people may use it and most people understand it |
| old use | no longer used at all except in old texts or deliberate imitation of them |
| historical | refers to something that belonged to the past and no longer exists; the word itself is current |
| new | came into use recently and may not last |
Attitude
The speaker's stance, which a definition alone cannot show.
| Label | Meaning |
|---|---|
| approving | shows that the speaker admires or likes what is described |
| disapproving | shows that the speaker dislikes or criticizes what is described |
| ironic | used to mean the opposite of what it seems to say, often to be funny or critical |
| euphemistic | a gentler or less direct word for something unpleasant or embarrassing |
| affectionate | shows warmth or fondness toward the person or thing described |
| dismissive | treats the person or thing described as unimportant or not worth respect |