How do dictionaries describe the lexical meanings of words?

Dictionaries perform lexical defining, which seeks to explain how a word is used in context rather than describing the essential nature of the concept it represents. Because language is complex, lexicographers must make arbitrary decisions to divide a word's meaning into distinct "senses," often using collected usage examples to guide their judgment.123

To organize these senses, lexicographers may use several methods:
* Historical order: Presenting meanings based on their chronological development.3
* Logical order: Used when historical data is insufficient or confusing.3
* Frequency: Ordering senses by how often they appear in usage (the "semantic count").3
* Importance: Placing the most common or "core" meaning first.3

Lexicographers aim to be accurate and succinct, often relying on a "defining vocabulary" of simpler words to explain more complex terms. While dictionaries provide denotations—the explicit meanings of words—they generally do not capture the connotations or the philosophical "real" nature of the things those words describe. Ultimately, modern lexicography focuses on describing how language is actually used rather than prescribing how it should be used.31456