Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition (Revised and Updated)

The description for this renowned dictionary said revised and updated 2019, making one believe that Mariam-Webster’s did a revised and updated reprint. The disappointment was when I received it but was the same as the 2003 edition, unrevised and um-updated, so I returned with a message for amazon to verify the description of the item they’re advertising

A must have for every family with kids. Makes them manually look up words rather than asking Siri or Alexa. Forces them to read the meanings of words, rather than simply hearing it.

I use it check words from the Bible. It was very comprehensive.

First of all this is an English-American dictionary. If you are looking for UK-English dictionary you should consider other alternatives. This dictionary is extremely well done. It includes loads of example an references. For almost each word there is one or more sentences to explain the use of the word. Similar words to the one searched are also listed. It's great for college students who need to write reports and thesis. Although nowadays you can use many on line dictionaries the paper version of this one is much handier because of the number and the quality of examples. I'd really suggest you this dictionary if you are writing technical documents.

Please note: almost every negative review on this web-page is for the Kindle version while reviews and ratings for the book soar! I don't understand why Amazon lists the Kindle version along with the paper copy. These are two different products and should be rated and reviewed separately. If listed separately, the ratings for this book would be nearly 10.0! Although I hardly use the bundled software download for Windows it seems to work well and appears to contain the entire book. The free subscription is a nice bonus. The following review is for the hardcover book only, which is available in a number of different bindings, with tab index, or plain edge, with flashy dust jacket, or laminated graphic hardcover, and even one with a faux-leather covering. There is one with a CD, which has been superseded by the free bundled download version (access key is inside the book). Not all bindings are promoted equally on Amazon, but if you search with the right ISBN you should receive the style you want. Again, Amazon is remiss for not listing the different ISBNs and their respective editions all in one convenient place. After all these years (106!) the Merriam-Webster Collegiate keeps on getting better. The 11th edition is another masterly revision with sharper printing, clean typography, and hundreds of crisp new line drawings. It's now a more beautiful book than ever--one that begs to be used. The bright red mylar-laminated boards may not have the same appeal as the older cloth binding, but the book seems to be holding up fine with my daily use. The adhesive spine is now more flexible and allows better viewing into the gutter margin. The rear end-paper no longer displays the table of pronunciation, as in previous editions, so I photocopied the table from page 40a and oh-so-carefully pasted it inside the rear cover. I hope the publisher will restore the printed end-papers in future print runs, even if it means having to pay a few cents more. One other annoyance is the very small type size used for the tables. These tables are well done and very sharply printed, and there are plenty of them, but I find myself groping for the magnifying glass to read them. All of the tables have plenty of white space and could be printed a bit larger without taking up more space. But these are mere quibbles. I've used this Merriam-Webster 11th edition (2012) for over a year and its excellence is evident throughout. I find its wide coverage of drugs and chemicals impressive. I had forgotten what some of my prescription drugs were for. The Collegiate 11th told me. Food additives, vitamins, supplements, the latest words from the life sciences, such as epigenome and transgenetic are all there. One will also stumble across the occasional goofy neologism such as staycation and helicopter-parent, along with all the philosophical and ink-horn terms, idioms, and slang that one expects to find in a fine dictionary. The front matter, those introductory articles most people never bother to read, are some of the most beautifully written expository prose I've ever read, and there's a generous helping, too. This is highly polished, human-edited prose about the history of the English Language, how the dictionary came to be written, how entries are crafted, and how to use the book to best advantage. It's written especially so the intelligent layperson can understand and appreciate the richness of this fabulous book. These articles alone are worth the price of the book. Yes indeed, the art of lexicography is truly alive and well at Merriam-Webster. Kudos to all the folks in Springfield, CT, who made this fine edition possible. I'll be watching for the 12th edition.

Great dictionary. I think it’s still great to be able to use a dictionary in this way.