What is the difference between Dictionary and Encyclopedia/comparison table
Dictionary and encyclopedia are terms that refer to works that have helped to impart knowledge among people for a long time. Both are works of great importance. For example, the encyclopedia had a privileged place in the intellectual movement of the Enlightenment, which emerged as a contrast to the Dark Ages. Through this collection of knowledge, it was intended to make all possible knowledge available to anyone who wanted it, in order to end the generalized ignorance among the population. What is the difference between Dictionary and Encyclopedia?
It is common for there to be a bit of confusion as to the meaning of both words, which, it should be mentioned, cannot function as synonyms. Although both works are compilation items, there are important differences between dictionaries and encyclopedias. What is the difference between Dictionary and Encyclopedia?
Dictionary | Encyclopedia | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | It is a literary work – a book , in which you can consult the meaning of different words or terms. In addition to the meaning, information such as etymology, pronunciation, hyphenation, grammatical classification, and other things are usually included. | An encyclopedia, on the other hand, is also a literary work, however, it does not exclusively collect terms. An encyclopedia collects knowledge; collects topics, explains and develops them in an impartial, objective and universal way. It is in short, it is a compendium of knowledge. |
| Etymology | Dictionary comes from the Latin “dictionarium” and means “action or effect of saying something and keeping it .” | Encyclopaedia, on the other hand, comes from the Greek “enkyklios paideia” and means “educational circle, of knowledge.” |
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| Best known examples | There are many famous dictionaries, such as the Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy and the Larousse dictionaries. Currently the most popular type of dictionaries are online dictionaries, Word Reference is one of the most popular in this field. | As for encyclopedias, there are also a large number of famous encyclopedias, for example the Encyclopedia Britannica, the Larousse Encyclopedia, the Great Encyclopedia Britannica, etc. |
| The first issue | The first dictionary was called “Lexicon“ and was created in Greece by the Greek philosopher Apollonius. | As for the encyclopedia, the first copy of a book with these characteristics dates from 1728. The book in question was called “Cyclopaedia” by Ephraim Chambers. |
