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vocabulary

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Definition of vocabulary

noun (plural vocabularies)

1the body of words used in a particular language: a comparison of the vocabularies of different languages the Sanskrit vocabulary
the words used in a particular subject or sphere of activity or on a particular occasion:the vocabulary of law [mass noun]:the term became part of business vocabulary
the body of words known to an individual person:he had a wide vocabulary
a list of difficult or unfamiliar words with an explanation of their meanings, accompanying a piece of specialist or foreign-language text.

2a range of artistic or stylistic forms, techniques, or movements:dance companies have their own vocabularies of movement

Origin:

mid 16th century (denoting a list of words with definitions or translations): from medieval Latin vocabularius, from Latin vocabulum (see vocable)

Grammar

The words of a language. Linguists sometimes refer to it as ‘lexis’. It can be divided into content words and structure words.

Spelling help

Remember that vocabulary ends with -ary.

vocabulary in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of vocabulary in the US English dictionary

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