Collins Cobuild English Dictionary

This is a dictionary of English as it is normally used, written and presented in plain English. By presenting the patterns of spoken or plain English in a new format, it enables easier and earlier use of a monolingual dictionary. This dictionary is suitable for all learners of English from intermediate to advanced level. There are over 70,000 references and over 90,000 examples, taken from books, magazines and newspapers. The wordlist is up-to-date and gives detailed treatment to the most frequently used words in English. All senses are explained in clear, natural English, using carefully chosen vocabulary to ensure that each meaning can be easily understood. Each spelling of a word is given in full to ensure clarity and essential grammar is contained in the wording of each definition. Synonyms and antonyms are given, as well as guidance on pronunciation using the International Phonetic Alphabet.

Through a collaborative initiative, Collins COBUILD and Heinle are co-publishing a dynamic new line of learner's dictionaries offering unparalleled pedagogy and learners' resources. The first Collins COBUILD dictionary was published in 1987, thanks in part to John Sinclair, one of the very first modern corpus linguists who personally oversaw the creation of the Bank of English. Every COBUILD dictionary is based on the Bank of English, a huge electronic database of both written and spoken language, which today contains over 650 million words.