Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary (OALD) was the first advanced learner's dictionary of English. It was first published in 1948 and has helped many people who are learning English as a new language.

This dictionary is made by Oxford University Press, a well-known company that creates books and learning tools. It is special because it is designed for people who are not native English speakers, helping them understand words and how to use them correctly.

While some learners who want extra details about where words come from might choose the Concise Oxford English Dictionary or the bigger Oxford English Dictionary, the OALD remains a favorite for students and teachers around the world.

History

The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary started as a book called the Idiomatic and Syntactic Dictionary, edited by Albert Sydney Hornby. It was first published in Japan in 1942. Hornby was a teacher of English studies who noticed that students needed better tools to learn English.

After moving to Britain, the dictionary was taken under the care of Oxford University Press. They saw its value as a helpful guide for people learning English, explaining spelling, grammar, phonetics, and how words are used in a way that native speakers might not need. Despite challenges during World War II, the dictionary was finally published between 1943 and 1948 and became very popular. Today, it remains one of the most used resources for people learning English around the world.

Publications

English dictionaries

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English was first published in 1948; the current edition is the tenth.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

The book's cover title was changed beginning with 4th edition. However, the old name was still being referenced by foreign language versions of the dictionary up to 6th edition.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Academic English

It is a demo version of Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, which includes 100 sample entries from the OALD.

Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English

Oxford Learner's Wordfinder Dictionary

Oxford Learner's Thesaurus: A Dictionary of Synonyms

The thesaurus was originated in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 7th edition, where over 200 sets of synonyms were located at specific lexical entries.

Oxford Learner's Pocket Dictionary

Oxford Learner's Pocket Dictionary of Business English

Oxford Learner's Pocket Grammar

Oxford Learner's Pocket Phrasal Verbs and Idioms

Oxford Learner's Pocket Thesaurus

Oxford Learner's Pocket Verbs and Tenses

Oxford Learner's Pocket Word Skills

Oxford Learner's Quick Reference Grammar

New Oxford Intermediate Learner's Dictionary

Oxford Advanced American Dictionary for learners of English

Oxford Basic American Dictionary for learners of English

Oxford American Dictionary for learners of English

Oxford ESL Dictionary

Oxford ESL Dictionary for learners of English

English-Chinese dictionaries

The Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English with Chinese Translation

The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English with Chinese Translation

Oxford English-Chinese Reader's Dictionary

Oxford Advanced Learner's English-Chinese Dictionary

Oxford Elementary Learner's English-Chinese Dictionary

Oxford Elementary Learner's English-Chinese Dictionary (牛津初階英漢雙解詞典) is targeted for primary school readers. It was first published in 1998.

Oxford Intermediate Learner's English-Chinese Dictionary

Oxford Intermediate Learner's English-Chinese Dictionary (牛津進階英漢雙解詞典/牛津中階英漢雙解詞典) is targeted for secondary school readers. It was first published in 2001.

Oxford Learner's Wordfinder English-Chinese Dictionary

Oxford Learner's Thesaurus A dictionary of synonyms

Oxford American Dictionary for learners of English (English-Chinese)

English-French dictionaries

Dictionnaire Oxford Poche pour apprendre l'anglais (français-anglais / anglais-français)

English-Greek dictionaries

Oxford English-Greek Learner's Dictionary

Oxford Greek-English Learner's Dictionary

Oxford Learner's Pocket Dictionary (English-Greek / Greek-English)

English-Korean dictionaries

• Oxford Advanced Learner's English-Korean Dictionary (옥스포드 영한사전): Published by Foreign Language Limited.

English-English-Persian dictionaries

Oxford Elementary Learner's Dictionary

English-Portuguese Dictionaries

Dicionário Oxford Escolar para estudantes brasileiros de inglês (Português-Inglês / Inglês-Português)

Dicionário Oxford Pocket para estudantes de Inglês (Português-Inglês / Inglês-Português)

English-Spanish Dictionaries

Diccionario Oxford Escolar para estudiantes mexicanos de inglés (español-inglés / inglés-español)

Diccionario Oxford Escolar para estudiantes de inglés (español-inglés / inglés-español)

Diccionario Oxford Pocket para estudiantes de inglés

Diccionario Oxford Pocket para estudiantes latinoamericanos de inglés

English-English-Vietnamese Dictionaries

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary with Vietnamese Translation

Student's Dictionary

The Oxford Student's Dictionary is different from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. While the OALD helps people learn English as a new language, the Student's Dictionary is for students who already know English but need help using it for other school subjects. This dictionary has a smaller list of words compared to the OALD.

Literary references

In the 2007 novel Sworn Virgin by Elvira Dones, the main character, Hana, feels lost and takes her frustrations out on her English dictionary. She imagines the dictionary’s author, calling him "Mr. Hornby," and wonders if he is still alive. Hana pictures him as a thin, bespectacled man who might be sad or lonely, and she even draws a small picture of him on the dictionary’s cover.