the stock of words used by or known to a particular people or group of persons: His French vocabulary is rather limited. The scientific vocabulary is constantly growing.
a list or collection of the words or phrases of a language, technical field, etc., usually arranged in alphabetical order and defined: Study the vocabulary in the fourth chapter.
the words of a language.
any collection of signs or symbols constituting a means or system of nonverbal communication: vocabulary of a computer.
any more or less specific group of forms characteristic of an artist, a style of art, architecture, or the like.
Origin of vocabulary
1525–35; <Medieval Latin vocābulārium, noun use of neuter of vocābulārius of words, equivalent to Latin vocābul(um) vocable + -ārius-ary
They have oddly expansive vocabularies and eminently quotable catchphrases, one of which — “Be Excellent to Each Other” — was posted on the marquee on my local movie theater when the pandemic shut it down in March.
The essential kindness of Bill and Ted|Alissa Wilkinson|August 28, 2020|Vox
Instead, the teen wrote tens of thousands of articles in English with a put-on Scottish accent, ignoring actual Scots grammar and vocabulary.
How a Scots Wikipedia scandal highlighted AI’s data problem|Nicolás Rivero|August 27, 2020|Quartz
You speak in the voice and register that belongs to your old self—well-enunciated, resonant, its statements infiltrated by a formal, lawyerly vocabulary.
The first murder|Katie McLean|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
You know, so much of learning vocabulary is just word-definition, word-definition, word-definition.
Can You Guess These Words From Their Definitions?|Candice Bradley|July 23, 2020|Everything After Z
The slightly modified version of Gödel’s scheme presented by Ernest Nagel and James Newman in their 1958 book, Gödel’s Proof, begins with 12 elementary symbols that serve as the vocabulary for expressing a set of basic axioms.
How Gödel’s Proof Works|Natalie Wolchover|July 14, 2020|Quanta Magazine
My Arabic is limited to a vocabulary of my favorite foods, such as “I love chicken and rice.”
Middle East Goes Monty Python on ISIS|Dean Obeidallah|October 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In an uncanny way, that describes the precise definition of the hipster, when the term first appeared in the American vocabulary.
Why Do We Hate Hipsters So F'ing Much?|Ted Gioia|July 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Here, the vocabulary of fast food for many young Brazilians is temaki (hand rolls) instead of burgers and fries.
Meet the Chef Fighting to Ensure That Brazilians Will Never Be as Fat as Americans|Brandon Presser|June 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Without the freedom to act on moral values, there is not even a vocabulary for public virtue.
Government Has Made America Inept|Philip K. Howard|May 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You have to have discipline in the words you use, in your vocabulary.
Bill Nye on ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ Fabulous Things & Being Popular|Kevin Fallon|October 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He had long ago exhausted the vocabulary of contempt on the President, his character, ability, and policy.
The Clansman|Thomas Dixon
Digested into an easy, short and accurate Method with a Vocabulary and Dialogues.
The Teaching and Cultivation of the French Language in England during Tudor and Stuart Times|Kathleen Lambley
Other new words are placed in a vocabulary at the close of the book.
New National Fourth Reader|Charles J. Barnes and J. Marshall Hawkes
Even more decisive in this direction than the vocabulary is the general character of the material.
Sources of the Synoptic Gospels|Carl S. Patton
A few punctuation marks in the paradigms and vocabulary lists have been supplied or regularized.
Sketch of Grammar of the Chippeway Languages|John Summerfield
British Dictionary definitions for vocabulary
vocabulary
/ (vəˈkæbjʊlərɪ) /
nounplural-laries
a listing, either selective or exhaustive, containing the words and phrases of a language, with meanings or translations into another language; glossary
the aggregate of words in the use or comprehension of a specified person, class, profession, etc
all the words contained in a language
a range or system of symbols, qualities, or techniques constituting a means of communication or expression, as any of the arts or craftsa wide vocabulary of textures and colours
Word Origin for vocabulary
C16: from Medieval Latin vocābulārium, from vocābulārius concerning words, from Latin vocābulumvocable