Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged

We received Volume 1 letters A-G. I looked back at our order details and saw nowhere that this would be the case. I will be contacting customer service to see if I may return.

PLEASE advertise that you are selling only one volume (of a multiple volume dictionary set). Nowhere was this detail specified! I would either like to make a return or, receive the other volumes in the set.

You sent me Volume II ONLY. The product description in NO WAY indicated that I was only buying part of a whole set. Why would sell a single volume of a multi volume DICTIONARY???

This review is unavoidably dichotomized: one is for the dictionary and one is for the publisher. As for the dictionary, I have to express my deep admiration for Webster's Third New International Dictionary: it is in my opinion a wondrous dictionary, the best I have ever used. I am a researcher and I extensively use English in writing. For so much time I have rested upon imprecise or unclear dictionaries. When I came across the Webster's Dictionary I found the foremost authority in English dictionaries. The feature I most appreciate of this dictionary is that, unlike the other ones, it is based on multiple concise definitions for most words. That is, it explains meanings by means of two or three (sometimes more) different sentences which are always brief and pellucid (instead of one definition consisting of a long unwieldy sentence). Thus, the reader's cognitive effort in understanding is much smaller. Numerous examples help readers to understand every nuance of the word: the sources are diverse (literature, science, history, philosophy, etc.) and cover a wide range of contexts. Many usage notes provide synonyms and help the reader to distinguish semantically related words. I suggest anyone to buy it at once, and I also suggest to carefully read the guide to the dictionary and to the pronunciation: you will find that the Webster's Dictionary is a very powerful tool, a lot of information is conveyed, more than you might think before reading the guide. As for the publisher, I agree with the review entitled ``What a piece of junk'', and I would like to address one word to Merriam-Webster: lazy! You are very lazy. Webster's Dictionary is a petrified dictionary, no revised edtion has been made from 1961. I am astonished, I wonder what you are doing. You keep on publishing reprints and sell them at a very high price. Anyone may find here in Italy the 1993 edition reprinted by Konemann at a very low price. Some time ago I bought it at 27 Euros (about 23 US dollars). It is true that there is an addenda but this is just the evidence that a revision has not been accomplished. A serious publisher would have undertaken a complete revision. Once upon a time you were a prime example of how a publisher should work, currently you are a prime example of how a publisher should not work (are you aware of what Oxford University Press is doing now with its English Dictionary?). Webster's Third New International Dictionary is still the best dictionary (bar Oxford English Dictionary) but you are sitting on your laurels: watch out! If you do not look to your laurels Random House will soon outstrip you. It is obvious that my five star score is for the dictionary as it was compiled by Noah Webster and revised by lexicographers and scholars at Merriam until 1961. Current Merriam deserves no score.

This is in response to the fellow who claims it to be a peice of junk. This is an excellent dictionary. I personally own the Random House dictionary (Unabridged) as well as the American Heritage dictionary and neither of these even come close to the breadth of information in this dictionary. It has many more entries defined and lot more usages explained. It has lots of obscure and interesting words you will not find defined in any other American dictionary besides probably the Websters 2nd international (1934) or Johnson's Dictionary. Granted that it is somewhat old (1961) and some of the definitions are a little outdated, but it's scholarship is unmatched by any other dictionary besides the great oxford English dictionary (20 volumes). If I were given the choice to own only 1 dictionary it would be this one. Hope this helps.

Webster's 3rd International is a terrific dictionary, but it becomes even better with this CD-ROM. The software starts up within 2 seconds of clicking the icon, and you can simply start typing the word you want to look up. "Of course," you say? Well...check out the OED, which I bought and subsequently returned. With that, it takes about 20 seconds to get started (assuming you already have the CD-ROM in your drive--otherwise it will take you longer), and then leaves you with a page full of options to choose. And then...but I digress. Let's just say the software for Webster's is just what you want--click on the icon, type the word, hit RETURN, voila. And you can double click on any word in the definition and you are instantly brought to that word's definition--which is REALLY nice. The software is good enough that it significantly enhances the value of the dictionary. And if you don't believe me, do what I did: buy the OED first, let the world's worst software package frustrate the heck out of you for a week, then return it and buy Webster's 3rd.

With the exception of the complete Oxford English Dictionary, there simply isn't a more useful dictionary available. And unlike the exorbitant price of the OED (unless you like using a microscopic text and magnifying glass with the compact OED), the Webster's is sufficient for most users. I've been using mine for decades; the one I grew up with wore out. I hate abridged dictionaries; as a lifelong reader and writer, you never know when an obscure word is going to come up -- and at this point in my life, those are the only words I don't know. Plus, the Webster's makes a dandy footstool while you're at the computer!

There are only two definitive English language dictionaries: Webster's Third (W3) and the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). The OED has the advantage of scholarship, prestige and preeminence: it is generally regarded as the gold standard in the definition of English words. It achieves this primarily by citing historical books and manuscripts, going back in many cases to the dark ages, when the language itself was evolving. Comprising some 22 volumes and requiring more than three feet of shelf space, it is an impressive addition to anyone's library, albeit at a high cost. It is available, again at high cost, on CD ROM. W3 is a single volume about four inches wide. It offers a precise definition of every word you will ever encounter (450,000 are listed) except for slang and jargon, obsolete words, technical vocabularies and recent additions to the language. It is not above providing an occasional literary allusion. It defines the English language. Suppose you want to look up the word "synecdoche." Which of the following scenarios do you prefer? (1) Find volume 10 of the OED and learn that Wyclif (1338) defined it as "whanne a part is set for al, either al is set for oo par . . ." (2) Start computer, find CD ROM, load CD ROM, go to OED, step through program, find information, unload CD ROM, turn off computer, file CD ROM, go back to what you were doing in the first place. (3) Open W3 and read "a figure of speech by which a part is put for a whole (as fifty sail for fifty ships) . . ." W3 is THE dictionary. It belongs in everyone's home. At the listed price it is an incredible bargain. Highly recommended.