Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
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The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, previously entitled the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English, is a popular dictionary published by the Oxford University Press. It is a monolingual learner's dictionary, aimed at advanced learners of English as a second language all over the world.
The dictionary was first published in 1948 with A. S. Hornby as editor; the current edition (as of 2005) is the seventh (editor: Sally Wehmeier), and runs to 1,880 pages. It is now published on paper and as a CD-ROM (ISBN 0-19-431586-X). The following editions exist:
- First Edition first published in 1948 (12 impressions)
- Second Edition first published in 1963 (19 impressions)
- Third Edition first published in 1974 (28 impressions)
- Fourth Edition first published in 1989 (50 impressions)
- Fifth Edition first published in 1995 (65 impressions)
- Sixth Edition first published in 2000 (117 impressions)
- Seventh Edition first published in 2005
As its name implies, the dictionary is intended not for linguistic scholars but for non-native speakers who want information about the meaning of current English words and phrases. It is the largest English-language dictionary published by OUP aimed at a non-native audience.
All headwords are explained in uncomplicated language, focusing on current meanings and mostly omitting outdated uses. There are many example phrases and sentences, but no quotations or etymologies. Interspersed notes on the usage of words with similar meanings that are often confused by non-native speakers, and appendices, serve the specific readership. The latest editions use a core vocabulary of some 3,000 words to explain definitions, which help them to be more digestible to learners of English.
The dictionary is used in secondary schools in many countries. Other dictionaries with a similar concept are the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (ISBN 0-582-77646-5); the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, published by the Cambridge University Press (ISBN 0-521-53106-3), and the Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary (ISBN 0-00-715799-1) from HarperCollins.
Users with a more linguistic interest, requiring etymologies or copious references, usually prefer the Concise Oxford Dictionary or other dictionaries aimed more at speakers of English with native-level competence.
