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Why do descriptive dictionaries rely on evidence from actual language use?

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Ferdinand de Saussure seated in a formal pose, wearing a dark suit with a vest and sporting a thick mustache, circa 1900. — Linguistics Much of the foundation of 20th-century sociolinguistics was created by the Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure (1857–1913).

Descriptive dictionaries rely on evidence from actual language use because their primary objective is to record and chronicle the language as it exists, rather than to dictate how it should be used. By analyzing linguistic corpora—searchable databases of text—lexicographers can objectively observe how words are employed by speakers and writers in real-world contexts.1

This approach is fundamental to the scientific study of language, as it allows for an accurate, unbiased report of the living language, including variations and evolving usage. Unlike prescriptive dictionaries, which may impose rules based on subjective notions of "correctness," descriptive dictionaries prioritize empirical evidence. This methodology ensures that the dictionary serves as a reliable record of the language's actual state, capturing both formal and informal usage, which provides a more comprehensive and honest reflection of how communication functions in practice.1