Average Rating: 
Rating:  - An exemplary lexical reference -- for the most part.
In it's promotional materials, Merriam-Webster takes pride in its large scholarly editorial staff, and huge citation files. In fact, it is a company devoted to producing high quality scholarly references, and its pride is justified.Because no dictionary can include everything, the art of producing a fine dictionary is the art of choosing wisely, what to include and what not to incorporate. Some desk dictionaries are too concerned with inflating their word stock with esoteric chemical names and proper nouns, leaving little room for the true lexical entries you are more likely to investigate. Some of these books only give a few near-synonyms to define a word. Others fill valuable space with thumb nail photos, which are fine if you want a picture book. Merriam-Webster's 10th Collegiate chooses its word stock with care. It uses font sizes and page space judiciously and therefore offers more of the information one is likely to want. It provides carefully crafted definitions, based on citational research that reveals the subtlety of connotation as well as the more obvious denoted sense. M-W's illustrative phrases are excellent, with many cited from literature. The word stock is extensive as well as current. The synonym studies are truly useful, revealing the fine shades of difference between the synonyms listed. The usage notes are based on citational evidence, not on the opinion of elitist "usage panels". When a word's usage is at issue, this dictionary gives you the facts, not opinion. It's dating of the first known appearance of words is perhaps not essential, but it is a welcome feature lending historical interest to the entries. I have only one complaint about this otherwise exemplary dictionary. It's treatment of trademark entries reveals a reluctance to report the actual usage of such terms. Taking the safe approach, it reports for example that 'band-aid' is always to be capitalized, thus: 'Band-Aid', and it defines it only in its most limited sense: "Band-Aid: trademark--used for a small adhesive strip with a gauze pad for covering minor wounds"...Trademark issues aside, this is the desk dictionary of choice. If you have never owned a Merriam-Webster Collegiate, you will be pleasantly surprised to learn how much better a desk dictionary can be. Use this reference for a year or so, and you will seldom bother with other dictionaries. If you care about the English language and value its mastery, this dictionary will inspire a passion for it. The standard edition with its bright red dust jacket, is a handsome and rugged volume. This invaluable reference is bound in sturdy boards with a durable linen covering. The thin paper stock results in a thinner volume, yet it contains more substance than the bulky thick competing books.
Rating: - Always the first reference I reach for
By updating Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary every
10-12 years, its publishers continue to provide wordsmiths, copy editors, students, teachers, and folks who simply love learning about the English language (American style) a great service and indispensable reference. Though at heart, this certainly is a robust, up-to-date dictionary, the additional reference information proves valuable for a host of purposes. The histories, guides, and lists that span the opening section should not be regarded merely as the arcane turf of lexicographers and linguists. For the most part, these are great resources worth your attention. Likewise, there are appendices that delve into such varied subject matter as foreign words and phrases, chemical element, geographical names, and a style guide. Do not be misled by the fact this volume is called a collegiate dictionary. It is also the dictionary favored by legions of copy editors charged with maintaining consistency and correctness in myriad publications of all sorts, from newspapers to newsletters. This dictionary has always been the most responsive to changes in the language, and each new edition swells by thousands of new entries. The standard features are all here of course: bold-face entries, pronunciation, economical but precise definitions and usage examples, and all the other details you need. In addition to the small, inset line drawings that grace every few pages, there are occasional half-page illustrations that expand certain terms. Sure there are going to be some errors that pundits and nitpickers will gleefully cite, but it you consider the how much information is packed into this hardback edition (I would never buy a paperback dictionary)...you can do no better.
Rating: - Just right: the convenient version of a brand-name standard
The name "Webster's" long ago passed into the public domain, but three dictionaries--and the Merriam-Webster brand--survive as the lineal descendants of Noah Webster's original nineteenth-century dictionaries, the first dictionaries of American English, which have been in print continuously for almost two centuries. The 215,000-word "Collegiate Dictionary," now in its tenth edition, is the conveniently abridged harback version of the brand-name standard. The other versions are the 445,000-word "Webster's Third New International Dictionary Unabridged," which "Collegiate Dictionary" abridges; and the 70,000-word pocket-sized paperback, whose contents are a subset of this version.If the unabridged version is too much, and the pocket-sized paperback is too little, this version is just right. I keep the paperback version handy on my desk for ready reference (along with a thesaurus, a style manual, and a usage dictionary). But on the shelf nearby, within easy reach, I keep a more extensive basic reference set, including the heftier hardbound "Collegiate Dictionary." When clear and simple communication is the goal, this version is a good check against writing that is getting too high and mighty; if a word does not appear here, I think twice about using it, keeping in mind the Fowler brothers' first "general principle" of good writing: "Prefer the familiar word to the far-fetched." If you are buying one and only one dictionary, go with this version: it is more complete than the paperback version, yet stays within the realm of familiar words. But if you can manage, I recommend also stocking the paperback version. Keep the hardbound version on the shelf, within reach, and consult it as necessary; and keep the paperback version at your fingertips for readier, more routine reference.
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