Do you consider yourself a lexicophile? Derived from the Greek language, a lexicophile is a fan of words and dictionaries. If that description fits you, then today is a special day.
Celebrated annually on October 16th, National Dictionary Day celebrates the birth of Noah Webster, an American writer who was born in 1758. Webster is best-known for publishing the first dictionary in 1806, which he continued to expand over the next 27 years. Though this bestselling dictionary defined 37,000 words, he was unsatisfied and spent the next 22 years of his life dedicated to adding new words. In 1828, at the age of 70, he published his new dictionary with over 65,000 words.
While many of us are familiar with the spelling differences between British and American English words (such as colour and flavour spelled in American English as color and flavor), those changes can be attributed to Webster. In his first edition of the American English dictionary in 1806, he changed the spellings to American English.
After Webster died in 1843 as an American hero who pioneered the dictionary and supported both the abolition of slavery and universal education, G & C Merriam, Co. purchased the rights to his "An American Dictionary of the English Language." Brothers George and Charles Merriam continued to refine Webster's dictionary, eventually creating the Merriam-Webster dictionary that's revered today. And you can also find its resources online at www.Merriam-Webster.com.
On a personal note, in June 1977, I received my first dictionary, the Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary (the big red volume), as a graduation present from elementary school from my grandparents. I was thrilled and knew it would be a lifelong friend! It still sits prominently on my bookcase. In the book's preface, the editor wrote, "Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary is a completely new volume in the Merriam-Webster series of dictionaries. It is a general dictionary edited for use in school or college, in the office, and in the home - in short, wherever information about English words is likely to be sought."
While Merriam-Webster is a well-known dictionary brand, there are others. Let's pivot from history to marketing and check out some other well-known dictionary brands.
OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) began in 1857 when members of the Philological Society in London decided that existing English dictionaries were incomplete and inaccurate. The first edition of the OED was finally completed seventy years later in 1928. It is widely accepted as the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press, a University of Oxford publishing house. The first electronic versions appeared on CD-ROMs, leading to the launch of the OED Online database in 2000; and a complete rewrite for a digital-first Third Edition is currently underway.
OED is top-ranked because:
(1) It traces the complete history, etymology (origin), and evolution of over half a million words from the Anglo-Saxon period to the present day.
(2) It contains millions of quotation citations showing how words have been used over centuries.
(3) It functions as a comprehensive research record rather than just a quick guide for everyday spelling.
CAMBRIDGE DICTIONARY
Cambridge University Press has been publishing dictionaries for learners of the English language since 1995. Cambridge Dictionaries Online began offering these dictionaries completely free of charge in 1999 — and today, Cambridge Dictionary is still growing. The Cambridge Dictionary is owned by Cambridge University Press & Assessment, a non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge in England.
COLLINS DICTIONARY
In 1819 in Glasgow, Scotland, William Collins began his business printing sermons and hymn books but soon moved into dictionaries and atlases as well as printing the bible. While the company is currently part of the multi-national Harper Collins group, the dictionary is still compiled in Scotland - in an office in the Glasgow suburb of Bishopbriggs. In 2011, the dictionary launched CollinsDictionary.com. And according to Elaine Higgleton, Publishing Director, Collins English Dictionaries, "There are certain people such as crossword puzzlers and scrabble players who like to have a physical copy of the dictionary as well as new markets emerging in places such as India where Internet coverage is not keeping up with demand to learn English."
MACQUARIE DICTIONARY
While initially proposed during the 1960s, the Macquarie Dictionary was published in September 1981 as the first comprehensive record of Australian English. The dictionary moved online in 2003 and has continued updating through subsequent editions, including the ninth edition in 2023.
Here's a fun fact: Did you know that, at the end of each year, many dictionaries share their favorite words or terms from the entire year? I've included links at the end of this post featuring recaps of words and terms that told the stories of 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 from the perspective of dictionary brands.
Gregory Barlow, President of Merriam-Webster, has said, "The one constant of a vibrant living language is change. We continuously encounter new ways of describing the world around us, and the dictionary is a record of those changes." And also during 2025, Merriam-Webster added over 5,000 words to its Collegiate Dictionary, the first major print revision in 22 years, showing a commitment to keeping the dictionary current with language changes.
SHARE THIS: The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter — it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning. ~Mark Twain #HappyDictionaryDay #WordChoice #DebbieLaskeysBlog
SHARE THIS: A fan or lover of dictionaries is called a lexicophile - combining the Greek root lex- (from lexis, meaning "word") and -phile (from philos, meaning "loving"). #FunFact #HappyDictionaryDay #WordChoice #DebbieLaskeysBlog
And if you're a lexicophile, you're probably also a bibiliophile (a lover of books), so to celebrate today, you might wish to read "The Dictionary of Lost Words" a work of historical fiction by Pip Williams. Here's a brief description from publisher Penguin Random House, "Set during the height of the women’s suffrage movement and with the Great War looming, The Dictionary of Lost Words reveals a lost narrative, hidden between the lines of a history written by men. Inspired by actual events, author Pip Williams has delved into the archives of the Oxford English Dictionary to tell this highly original story. The Dictionary of Lost Words is a delightful, lyrical, and deeply thought-provoking celebration of words and the power of language to shape the world."
Lastly, don't forget to swing by my blog during January 2027 to read my recap of the words and terms that told the story of 2026 from the perspective of dictionary brands!
Image Credit: AARP via Getty Images.
Check out interesting statistics for a comparison of English dictionaries:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_English_dictionaries
Read: A Love Letter To Language by Nina Hobson (Psychology Today - 7/6/2021):
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/202107/love-letter-language
Check out these posts about words and dictionaries that have appeared on my blog:
Best Social Media Post of the Month for April 2025 (May 2025)
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2025/05/best-social-media-post-of-month-for.html
Words and Terms that Told the Story of 2025 (January 2026)
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2026/01/words-and-terms-that-told-story-of-2025.html
Words and Terms that Told the Story of 2024 (January 2025)
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2025/01/words-and-terms-that-told-story-of-2024.html
Words and Terms that Told the Story of 2023 (January 2024)
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2024/01/words-and-terms-that-told-story-of-2023.html
Words and Terms that Told the Story of 2022 (January 2023)
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2023/01/words-and-terms-that-told-story-of-2022.html
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