Recommendations on a good dictionary?

[Shearer]

Can anyone recommend a dictionary either online or in book form that lists the genus, differentia and species of a concept?

If not, can anyone recommend just a good dictionary?

[DavidOdden]

The Oxford English Dictionary is top-notch. Its only two problems are size (point size if you get the compact version) and the fact that it doesn't pretend to be up to date on contemporary usage (which you can get proficiency in by watching MTV for a few hours, I suppose). After that, Websters; then if you want something small, the American Heritage dictionary.

[BurgessLau]

Can anyone recommend a dictionary either online or in book form that lists the genus, differentia and species of a concept?

If not, can anyone recommend just a good dictionary?

I frequently use an unabridged dictionary: Random House Dictionary of the English Language. (Mine is the second edition, but you might want to get the latest edition.) I much prefer a printed copy, so that I can mark it up. I prefer it over others I examined (many years ago) because it has a wide range of word usages (not formal genus/differentia definitions), useful addenda, and plenty of etymological information.

Which dictionary you choose depends on your needs -- which you don't specify in your post. E.g., do you need etymological roots? Do you need the extra -- but often very useful -- information that large dictionaries offer, such as conversion tables of measurements? Do you need appendices for mini-dictionaries in other languages? (Mine has mini-dictionaries in Spanish, French, German, and Italian -- going both ways, that is, to and from English; that feature is very useful for me as a student of history.)

In his lecture series on grammar, Dr. Peikoff recommends buying a used copy of an older, unabridged dictionary, perhaps from the 1920s or somewhat later, before the disintegration of grammar set in. That is good advice, I believe, for philosophers, but not necessarily for others.

I know of no dictionary, designed for wide use, that offers formal, genus/differentia definitions of terms (actually, ideas). However, any effective dictionary for intellectuals will offer a wide range of current and obsolete usages, allowing you to form your own definitions.

[Shearer]

Thanks for the suggestions, the reason I ask is becuase sometimes the definitions I get result in circular definitions.

For example, in the Oxford Popular Dictionary (pint size)

Love: warm liking or affection

Like: find pleasant or satisfactory

Affection: love, liking

This tells me that love means affection, affection means love, they both mean each other and are derived from the genus like or liking.

[Godless Capitalist]

For casual use I like American Heritage, mostly because of the usage notes.

In his lecture series on grammar, Dr. Peikoff recommends buying a used copy of an older, unabridged dictionary, perhaps from the 1920s or somewhat later, before the disintegration of grammar set in. That is good advice, I believe, for philosophers, but not necessarily for others.

I agree it's good advice, but not just for philosophical use. I recommend looking in used bookstores for a copy of Webster's New Collegiate (not Webster's New World) based on Webster's New International Dictionary, second edition. The "second edition" is crucial; the third edition, on which the modern Webster's is based, is the one that pretty much abandoned grammar in favor of "common usage" ie it became descriptive rather than prescriptive.

[BurgessLau]

Thanks for the suggestions, the reason I ask is becuase sometimes the definitions I get result in circular definitions.

The purpose of a dictionary, today, is not to define terms in the context of an objective philosophy but to record a range of conventional usages, even when those usages are contradictory or circular. An example of the former is "sanction." You gave an example of the latter. The dictionary will help you decide which usage a particular author is employing.

Your ObjectivismOnline profile provides no information about your goals. If you are an intellectual, professional or otherwise, then I highly recommend getting an unabridged dictionary. Get an old one, as GC recommends, if your focus is on timeless ideas. If your focus is on contemporary events, you may want to also get a late edition.

I recommend taking your time before buying. A dictionary can be a lifetime purchase, if you chose well for your lifetime purposes. Make a list, over time, of what you use a dictionary for and what your current one is missing. Then look at a variety, taking the time to read a few entries. You may discover some dictionaries offer features you hadn't even considered. Also be sure to look at the front and back matter.

Keep in mind too that there is a raft of specialized dictionaries available today. An example is philosophical dictionaries, ranging from single volumes to the 10 or so volumes of the Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. They can be very helpful in tracing changes in meaning through time.