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 began as a book called the Idiomatic and Syntactic Dictionary. It was edited by Albert Sydney Hornby and first published in Japan in 1942. Hornby was a teacher of English studies who saw that students needed better tools to learn English.

Later, the dictionary was taken care of by Oxford University Press in Britain. They thought it was very useful for people learning English. It helped explain spelling, grammar, phonetics, and how words are used. Even with difficulties during World War II, the dictionary was published between 1943 and 1948 and became very popular. Today, it is still 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 the 4th 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 started in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 7th edition.

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 is for primary school readers. It was first published in 1998.

Oxford Intermediate Learner's English-Chinese Dictionary

Oxford Intermediate Learner's English-Chinese Dictionary is 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. 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 school subjects. This dictionary has fewer words than the OALD.

Literary references

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