Britannica AI Icon

Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of the English Language

dictionary

Quick Summary

Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language is a comprehensive dictionary published in 1961 by G. & C. Merriam Co.. It contains over 476,000 entries and is noted for its extensive record of American English. This dictionary is a continuation of the legacy of Noah Webster, whose first unabridged dictionary, An American Dictionary of the English Language, was published in 1828. The Third New International was edited by Philip Babcock Gove and aimed to document contemporary English, including words and usage that were considered unconventional by some at the time. This approach led to public debate, with some critics finding fault with its inclusion of ephemeral writers and its treatment of certain words. The dictionary is now available online and is regularly updated.1234

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.