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Clear Definitions

The aim of Macmillan Dictionary is to make every definition as clear and easy to understand as possible. To achieve this, we write the definitions using a special defining vocabulary of just 2,500 words. These are among the most frequent words in the English language, and they are words that all students of English become familiar with in the first year or two of their studies.

How were the words in the defining vocabulary chosen?

These are the most common and basic words in English. We have chosen them by examining word-frequency information from hundreds of millions of words of English, including the English used in books written for advanced learners.

Which forms of these words are used in the definitions?

All the normal forms of nouns, verbs, and adjectives: for example, the list includes enter and large, so definitions may include forms like entered or entering and larger or largest. Apart from this, all the words and forms we use are actually shown in the defining vocabulary list: there are no prefixes or suffixes that can make additional words.

Which meanings of these words are used in the definitions?

Only the most basic and central meanings: for example, the adjective cold can sometimes mean 'unfriendly', but in our definitions it only refers to something at a low temperature.

What about phrases and phrasal verbs?

We use only the ones listed here: for example, the list includes a few simple phrasal verbs like put on and take off (for talking about clothes), and a few simple phrases like in order to and pay attention. If they are not listed, we do not use them.

Do definitions ever include other words?

Definitions sometimes need to refer to words outside the defining vocabulary. This is rare. Sometimes we refer to the names of real people or places (for example, Jesus Christ or England). Proper nouns like this are not listed in the defining vocabulary.

A

a
abbreviation
ability
able
about
above
academic
accept
acceptable
accident
accidental
accidentally
according to
account
accurate
accurately
accuse
achieve
achievement
acid
across
act
action
active
activity
actor
actress
actual
add
addition
additional
address
adjective
admiration
admire
admit
adult
advanced
advantage
adverb
advertise
advertisement
advertising
advice
advise
adviser
affect
afraid
after
afternoon
again
against
age
ago
agree
agreement
ahead
aim
air
aircraft
air force
airport
alcohol
alcoholic
alive
all
allow
almost
alone
along
alphabet
alphabetical
already
also
although
always
American
American football
among
amount
an
ancient
and
anger
angle
Anglican
angrily
angry
animal
announce
announcement
annoy
annoyed
annoying
another
answer
any
anyone
anything
anywhere
apart
appear
appearance
apple
apply
approval
approve of
April
are
area
argue
argument
arm
armed forces
army
around
arrange
arrangement
arrest
arrive
art
article
artificial
artificially
artist
as
ashamed
ask
aspect
astronomy
at
atmosphere
atom
attach
attack
attempt
attention
attitude
attract
attractive
audience
August
authority
automatic
automatically
autumn
available
average
avoid
awake
away

B

baby
back
background
backward
backwards
bacteria
bad
badly
bag
bake
balance
ball
band
bank
bar
base
baseball
based on
basic
basket
basketball
bath
bathroom
battle
be
beach
beak
bean
bear
beat
beautiful
beauty
because
become
bed
bedroom
beer
before
begin
beginning
behave
behaviour
behind
belief
believe
bell
belong to
below
belt
bend
benefit
beside
best
better
between
beyond
bicycle
big
bill
biology
bird
birth
birthday
bit
bite
bitter
bitterness
black
blade
blame
blind
blindness
block
blood
blow
blue
board
boat
body
boil
bomb
bone
book
boot
border
bored
boring
born
borrow
both
bottle
bottom
bowl
box
boy
boyfriend
brain
branch
brave
bread
break
breakfast
breast
breath
breathe
brick
bridge
bright
brightly
brightness
bring
British
broadcast
broken
brother
brown
brownish
brush
Buddhism
Buddhist
build
building
bullet
burn
burnt
burst
bury
bus
bush
business
businessman
businesswoman
busy
but
butter
button
buy
buyer
by
by means of

C

café
cake
calculate
calculation
call
calm
calmly
camera
camp
can
cancer
cannot
capable of
capital
car
card
care
career
careful
carefully
careless
carelessly
carelessness
carpet
carry
case
castle
cat
catch
Catholic
cause
CD
ceiling
celebrate
celebration
celebrity
cell
central
centre
century
ceremony
certain
certainly
chain
chair
chance
change
character
characteristic
charge
chase
cheap
cheat
check
cheek
cheese
chemical
chemistry
cheque
chest
chicken
child
children
chin
chocolate
choice
choose
Christian
Christianity
church
cigarette
cinema
circle
circular
citizen
city
claim
class
classical music
classroom
clay
clean
clear
clearly
clever
cliff
climb
clock
close
closely
cloth
clothes
clothing
cloud
club
coal
coast
coat
coffee
coin
cold
collar
collect
collection
college
colour
colourful
combination
combine
come
comfortable
comment
commit
committee
common
communicate
communication
Communism
Communist
community
company
compare
comparison
compete
competition
complain
complaint
complete
completely
complicated
computer
computing
concentrate
concerning
concert
condition
confidence
confident
confidently
confused
confusing
conjunction
connect
connection
conscious
conservative
consider
consist of
contain
container
continue
continuous
continuously
contract
control
controlled
convenient
conversation
cook
copy
corner
correct
correctly
cost
cotton
cough
could
council
count
country
countryside
course
court
cover
cow
crack
crash
crazy
cream
create
creature
crime
criminal
criticism
criticize
crop
cross
crowd
crowded
cruel
crush
cry
culture
cup
cupboard
cure
curl
curly
currency
current
curtain
curve
curved
custom
customer
cut

D

damage
damaged
dance
dancer
danger
dangerous
dark
darkness
data
date
daughter
day
dead
deaf
deafness
deal
deal with
death
debate
decay
December
decide
decision
decorate
decoration
deep
defeat
defence
defend
definite
definitely
degree
delay
deliberate
deliberately
delicate
deliver
democracy
democratic
department
depend on
depth
describe
description
desert
deserve
design
designer
desk
despite
destroy
destruction
detail
detailed
determination
determined
develop
development
dictionary
die
difference
different
difficult
difficulty
dig
direct
direction
directly
director
dirt
dirty
disabled
disadvantage
disagree
disagreement
disappear
disappointed
disappointing
disappointment
discover
discovery
discuss
discussion
disease
dish
dishonest
dishonestly
dislike
dissatisfied
distance
distant
district
divide
division
divorced
do
doctor
document
dog
dollar
door
double
doubt
down
download
downwards
draw
drawer
drawing
dream
dress
dressed
dried
drink
drive
driver
drop
drug
drum
drunk
dry
dull
during
dust
duty
DVD

E

each
ear
early
earn
earth
easily
east
eastern
easy
eat
economic
economics
economy
edge
educate
educated
education
educational
effect
effective
effectively
effectiveness
effort
egg
eight
eighth
either
elbow
elect
election
electric
electrical
electricity
electronic
element
elephant
else
email
embarrassed
embarrassing
emergency
emotion
emotional
emphasis
emphasize
employ
employee
employer
employment
empty
enclose
enclosed
encourage
end
enemy
energy
engine
engineering
English
enjoy
enjoyable
enjoyment
enough
enter
entertain
entertainer
entertainment
enthusiasm
enthusiastic
entrance
envelope
environment
environmental
equal
equally
equipment
escape
especially
essential
establish
even
evening
evenly
event
ever
every
everyone
everything
everywhere
evidence
evil
exact
exactly
examination
examine
example
excellent
except
exchange
excited
excitement
exciting
excuse
exercise
exhibition
exist
existence
expect
expensive
experience
experienced
experiment
expert
explain
explanation
explode
explosion
express
expression
extra
extreme
extremely
eye

F

face
fact
factory
fail
failure
fair
fairly
fall
false
familiar
family
famous
far
farm
farmer
farming
fashion
fashionable
fast
fasten
fat
father
fault
fear
feather
feature
February
feed
feel
feeling
female
fence
fertilizer
festival
fever
few
fibre
field
fifth
fight
fighting
file
fill
film
final
finally
financial
find
find out
finger
finish
fire
firm
firmly
first
fish
fishing
fit
five
fix
fixed
flag
flame
flash
flat
flavour
flesh
flight
float
flood
floor
flour
flow
flower
fly
flying
fold
follow
follower
food
foot
football
for
force
forehead
foreign
forest
forget
forgive
fork
form
formal
formally
forward
forwards
four
fourth
frame
free
freedom
freeze
frequent
frequently
fresh
Friday
friend
friendly
friendship
frighten
frightened
frightening
from
front
fruit
fuel
full
fun
funeral
funny
fur
furniture
furry
further
furthest
future

G

gain
game
garage
garden
gas
gate
gather
gay
gene
general
generally
generous
generously
genetic
gentle
gently
geography
get
get rid of
get up
girl
girlfriend
give
give birth
give up
glass
glue
go
goal
goat
god
go down
gold
golden
golf
good
goodbye
goods
go up
govern
government
graceful
gradual
gradually
grain
gram
grammar
grandfather
grandmother
grandparents
grass
grateful
great
green
greenish
greet
greeting
grey
ground
group
grow
growth
grow up
guard
guess
guest
guilty
guitar
gun

H

habit
hair
half
hall
hammer
hand
handle
hang
happen
happen to
happily
happiness
happy
hard
harm
harmful
harmless
hat
hate
have
he
head
head teacher
health
healthy
hear
heart
heat
heating
heaven
heavy
heel
height
helicopter
hello
help
helpful
her
here
herself
hidden
hide
high
hill
him
himself
Hindu
hire
his
historical
history
hit
hold
hole
holiday
holy
home
homework
honest
honestly
honesty
honour
hook
hope
hopeful
horn
horse
hospital
hot
hotel
hour
house
how
human
humorous
humorously
humour
hungry
hunt
hurry
hurt
husband

I

ice
idea
if
ignore
ill
illegal
illegally
illness
image
imaginary
imagination
imagine
immediate
immediately
immoral
impatient
impolite
importance
important
impossible
impress
impressive
improve
improvement
in
in charge of
include
including
income
incorrect
increase
independence
independent
indirect
indirectly
individual
indoor
industrial
industry
in fact
infect
infection
infectious
infinitive
influence
inform
informal
information
injure
injured
injury
ink
inner
in order to
insect
inside
instance
instead
instead of
institution
instruction
instrument
insult
insulting
insurance
intelligence
intelligent
intend
intention
interest
interested
interesting
international
Internet
interrupt
interruption
interview
into
introduce
introduction
invent
invention
invest
invitation
invite
involve
inwards
iron
Islam
Islamic
island
issue
it
its
itself

J

jacket
January
jaw
jazz
jewel
jewellery
Jewish
Jews
job
join
joke
journalism
journalist
journey
judge
judgment
juice
July
jump
June
junior
just
justice

K

keen
keep
key
keyboard
kick
kidney
kill
kilogram
kilometre
kind
kindness
king
kiss
kitchen
knee
knife
knock
knot
know
knowledge

L

label
laboratory
lack
lake
land
language
large
last
late
laugh
laughter
law
law-making
lawyer
layer
lazy
lead
leader
leadership
leading
leaf
lean
learn
learner
least
leather
leave
leave out
lecture
left
left-wing
leg
legal
legally
lemon
lend
length
less
lesson
let
letter
level
liberal
library
lid
lie
life
lift
light
like
likely
limit
limited
line
link
lion
lip
liquid
list
listen
literary
literature
litre
little
live
lively
liver
load
loan
local
lock
loneliness
lonely
long
look
look after
look for
loose
lose
loss
lot
loud
loudly
loudness
love
low
lower
loyal
loyalty
luck
lucky
lump
lunch
lung

M

machine
magazine
magic
main
mainly
major
majority
make
make up
male
man
manage
management
manager
manner
many
map
march
March
mark
market
marriage
married
marry
mass
match
material
mathematics
maths
matter
may
May
me
meal
mean
meaning
measure
measurement
meat
medical
medicine
meet
meeting
member
memory
mental
mentally
mention
menu
mess
message
metal
method
metre
midday
middle
middle-class
midnight
military
milk
millimetre
million
mind
mine
minister
minor
minute
mirror
miss
missile
missing
mistake
mix
mixed
mixture
mobile phone
model
modern
molecule
moment
Monday
money
monkey
month
monthly
mood
moon
moral
morally
more
morning
most
mostly
mother
motor
motorway
mountain
mouse
mouth
move
movement
movie
much
multiply
murder
muscle
museum
music
musical
musician
Muslim
must
my
mysterious
mystery

N

nail
name
narrow
nation
national
natural
naturally
nature
navy
near
nearly
necessary
neck
need
needle
negative
neighbour
neither
nerve
nervous
nervousness
net
never
new
news
newspaper
next
nice
night
nine
ninth
no
noise
noisily
noisy
no longer
none
nonsense
no one
nor
normal
normally
north
northern
nose
not
note
nothing
notice
noticeable
noun
novel
November
now
nowhere
nuclear
number
nurse
nut

O

obey
object
obligation
obtain
obvious
occasion
ocean
o'clock
October
of
off
offence
offend
offensive
offer
office
officer
official
officially
often
oil
old
old-fashioned
on
once
one
onion
only
onto
open
opera
operate
operation
opinion
opponent
opportunity
oppose
opposite
opposition
or
orange
orchestra
order
ordinary
organ
organization
organize
origin
original
originally
other
our
ours
out
outdoor
outer
outside
outwards
oven
over
owe
own
owner
oxygen

P

page
pain
painful
paint
painter
painting
pair
pale
palm
pan
paper
paragraph
parallel
parcel
parent
park
parking
parliament
part
participle
particular
partly
partner
party
pass
passage
passenger
passive
passport
password
past
pasta
path
patient
pattern
pause
pay
pay attention
payment
peace
peaceful
pen
pencil
pension
people
pepper
percent
percentage
perfect
perform
performance
performer
perhaps
period
permanent
permanently
permission
person
personal
personality
persuade
pet
petrol
phone
photograph
photographer
phrase
physical
physically
physics
piano
pick up
picture
piece
pig
pile
pill
pilot
pin
pink
pipe
place
plain
plan
plane
planet
planned
planning
plant
plastic
plate
play
player
pleasant
please
pleased
pleasure
plural
point
pointed
poison
poisonous
pole
police
police officer
policy
polite
politely
political
politician
politics
polluted
pollution
pool
poor
popular
popularity
population
port
position
positive
possession
possibility
possible
possibly
post
potato
pound
pour
poverty
powder
power
powerful
practical
practice
practise
praise
pray
prayer
prefer
pregnant
preparation
prepare
prepared
preposition
present
preserve
president
press
pressure
pretend
prevent
previous
previously
price
priest
prime minister
prince
princess
principle
print
printer
prison
prisoner
private
prize
probably
problem
process
produce
producer
product
production
profession
professional
profit
program
programme
progress
project
promise
pronoun
pronounce
pronunciation
proof
properly
property
proposal
protect
protection
protein
protest
Protestant
proud
proudly
prove
provide
public
publicly
publish
publisher
pull
pump
punish
punishment
pure
purple
purpose
push
put
put down
put on
qualification

Q

quality
quantity
quarter
queen
question
quick
quickly
quiet
quietly

R

race
radio
railway
rain
raise
range
rank
rare
rarely
rate
rather
raw
reach
react
reaction
read
ready
real
realize
really
reason
reasonable
receive
recent
recently
recognize
record
red
reduce
reduction
refer to
reflect
refusal
refuse
region
regular
regularly
related
relating to
relation
relationship
relative
relax
relaxed
relaxing
relevant
reliable
religion
religious
remain
remark
remember
remind
remove
rent
repair
repeat
replace
reply
report
represent
representative
republic
reputation
request
research
respect
responsibility
responsible
rest
restaurant
result
return
reward
rice
rich
ride
rider
right
right-wing
ring
rise
risk
river
road
rock
roll
romantic
roof
room
root
rope
rose
rough
roughness
round
row
royal
rub
rubber
rubbish
rude
rudely
rule
run
runner

S

sad
sadness
safe
safety
sail
sailor
salad
salary
sale
salt
same
sand
sandwich
satisfaction
satisfactory
satisfied
Saturday
sauce
save
say
saying
scene
school
science
scientific
scientist
scissors
score
screen
screw
sea
search
season
seat
second
secret
secretary
secretly
section
see
seed
seem
sell
seller
send
senior
sensible
sensitive
sentence
separate
separately
September
series
serious
seriously
seriousness
servant
serve
service
set
settle
seven
seventh
several
severe
severely
sew
sewing
sex
sexual
sexually
shadow
shake
shape
shaped
share
sharp
she
sheep
sheet
shelf
shell
shelter
shine
shiny
ship
shirt
shock
shocked
shocking
shoe
shoot
shop
shopping
short
shot
should
shoulder
shout
show
shower
shut
shy
sick
side
sideways
sight
sign
signal
silent
silk
silly
silver
similar
simple
simply
since
sincere
sing
singer
single
singular
sink
sister
sit
situation
six
sixth
size
skilful
skilfully
skill
skilled
skin
skirt
sky
sleep
sleeve
slide
slight
slightly
slip
slope
slow
slow down
slowly
small
smell
smile
smoke
smooth
smoothly
smoothness
snake
snow
so
soap
social
socially
society
sock
soft
software
soil
soldier
solid
solution
solve
some
someone
something
sometimes
somewhere
son
song
soon
sooner
sore
sorry
sound
soup
sour
sourness
south
southern
space
speak
speaker
special
specific
speech
speed
spell
spelling
spend
spin
spirit
spiritual
spoil
spoken
spoon
sport
spot
spread
spring
square
squeeze
staff
stage
stair
stamp
stand
standard
star
start
state
statement
station
status
stay
steadily
steady
steal
steam
steel
steep
stem
step
stick
stick out
sticky
stiff
still
sting
stitch
stolen
stomach
stone
stop
store
storm
story
straight
strange
stream
street
strength
stretch
strict
strictly
string
strong
strongly
structure
student
study
stupid
style
subject
substance
succeed
success
successful
successfully
such
such as
suck
sudden
suddenly
suffer
sugar
suggest
suggestion
suit
suitable
suitcase
summary
summer
sun
Sunday
sunny
supermarket
supply
support
supporter
sure
surface
surprise
surprised
surprising
surround
swallow
swear
sweet
swell
swim
swimmer
swing
switch
switch off
switch on
swollen
sword
symbol
sympathetic
sympathy
system

T

table
tail
take
take off
take part in
take place
talk
tall
taste
tax
taxi
tea
teach
teacher
team
tear
technical
technology
teenager
telephone
television
tell
temperature
temporarily
temporary
ten
tend
tendency
tennis
tense
tent
tenth
test
than
thank
thank you
that
the
theatre
their
them
themselves
then
theory
there
therefore
these
they
thick
thief
thin
thing
think
third
thirsty
this
thorough
thoroughly
those
thought
thousand
threat
threaten
threatening
three
throat
through
throw
thumb
Thursday
ticket
tidily
tidy
tie
tight
tightly
time
tired
tiring
title
to
tobacco
today
toe
together
toilet
tomato
tongue
tonight
too
tool
tooth
top
total
touch
tourist
towards
tower
town
toy
track
trade
tradition
traditional
traditionally
traffic
train
trained
training
translate
translation
transparent
transport
travel
traveller
treat
treatment
tree
trial
trick
tropical
trouble
trousers
truck
true
trust
truth
try
tube
Tuesday
tune
tunnel
turn
twice
twist
two
type
typical
tyre

U

ugly
unable
uncomfortable
unconscious
uncontrolled
under
underground
underneath
understand
underwear
unemployed
unemployment
unexpected
unexpectedly
unfair
unfairly
unfriendly
unhappy
uniform
unimportant
union
unit
unite
universe
university
unkind
unless
unlikely
unnecessary
unpleasant
unreasonable
unsuccessful
unsuitable
untidy
untie
until
unusual
unwilling
up
upper
upright
upset
upside down
upstairs
upwards
urgent
us
use
used
useful
useless
user
usual
usually

V

valley
valuable
value
van
variety
various
vegetable
vehicle
verb
very
victory
video
view
village
violence
violent
violently
visit
visitor
vocabulary
voice
vote
voter
vowel

W

waist
wait
wake
wake up
walk
wall
want
war
warm
warmth
warn
warning
wash
waste
watch
water
wave
way
we
weak
weapon
wear
weather
weave
website
wedding
Wednesday
week
weekend
weigh
weight
welcome
well
well-known
west
western
wet
what
whatever
wheat
wheel
when
whenever
where
wherever
whether
which
while
whip
white
who
whole
whom
whose
why
wide
width
wife
wild
will
willing
win
wind
window
wine
wing
winner
winter
wipe
wire
wise
wish
with
within
without
woman
wood
wooden
wool
word
work
worker
working-class
world
worried
worry
worse
worship
worst
worth
would
woven
wrap
wrist
write
writer
writing
written
wrong
wrongly

Y

year
yellow
yellowish
yes
yet
you
young
your
yours
yourself

Z

zero