Abbreviations Found in the Dictionary

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What Is an Abbreviation?

An abbreviation is a shortened way to write a word. For example:

Dr. means Doctor.

Jan. means January.

In a dictionary, abbreviations give you important clues about a word, like how it is used or what kind of word it is.

Why Do Dictionaries Use Abbreviations?

Printed dictionaries (the kind made of paper) use abbreviations to save space. Imagine writing “noun” every single time—those pages would get huge!

Online dictionaries often spell words out instead, but many still use abbreviations. Knowing them helps you read any dictionary, anywhere.

Common Dictionary Abbreviations You Should Know

Here are some of the most common abbreviations you will see:

• n. means noun
• A noun names a person, place, or thing.
• Example: dog, school, teacher

• vb. means verb
• A verb shows action or a state of being.
• Example: run, jump, is

• adj. means adjective
• An adjective describes a noun.
• Example: happy, blue, tall

• advb. means adverb
• An adverb describes a verb. It often tells how something happens.
• Example: quickly, softly

• pron. means pronoun
• A pronoun replaces a noun.
• Example: he, she, they

• sing. means singular
• This means one.
• Example: cat

• pl. means plural
• This means more than one.
• Example: cats

• L. means Latin
• This tells you that the word comes from Latin.

• Ed. means edition
• This tells you which version of a book or text it is.

How These Help You

When you look up a word, these abbreviations tell you:

• What kind of word it is.
• How to use it in a sentence.
• Where the word comes from.

That is a lot of information packed into just a few letters.

Try It in Your Head

If you saw this in a dictionary:

run (vb.)

You already know “run” is a verb. That means it shows action.

Nice work—you are already reading dictionary code.

You just learned how to read the secret shortcuts in a dictionary. Now it is time to practice using them yourself and show what you know.