Side by Side Comparison of: Merriam-Webster vs MERRIAM - WEBSTER INC. vs MERRIAM - WEBSTER INC. vs Barbara Ann Kipfer vs Amazon

excellent

Useful book.

Great dictionary for children. Large print is nice as they learn how to find words and expand their vocabulary.

When learning to become a proficient writer, one has to know how to not become repetitive with the same words. At least​, this is what my daughter tells me. These books were bought for her to assist her in her writing skills. I have not heard any complaint so they must be helping her with her writing.

Bought this for my daughter to help with writing her papers. She was having problmes with understanding or getting complete information online, or knowing which online reference to use for accuracy.

VERY helpful reference to have!! Right next to my desk. Most of what you will need in word usage will be here!

Excellent product, I love it.

Just what I needed after starting college again.

An essential reference text.

This is another invaluable resource that should be on all shelves, whether you are a student, business professional, or an author. I use it regularly, as I like learning new words and teaching them to my grandchildren.LBR5 out of 5 Hearts

This thesaurus, unlike some of the other thesauri available for Kindle, is fully searchable. The search feature works in much the same way as the default dictionary, and I think it's well worth the reasonable price.The entries are comprehensive with many Synonyms and Related Words provided, as well as Antonyms and Near Antonyms.I won't compare this thesaurus to other thesauri in print version, but I will say that it's the best thesaurus for Kindle at the time of writing this review. Roget's Super Thesaurus (Kindle Edition), for example, has excellent entries with long lists of synonyms, however it is not searchable and the format appears somewhat cluttered when viewed on the Kindle.After reading through various user reviews and testing sample content, I finally had narrowed down my choice to either Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus or WordNet 3 (largest English dictionary and thesaurus). However by comparing the sample content my decision quickly became obvious. WordNet 3 is also searchable and has the added advantage of making all Synonyms links to their main entries. However, it has very lack-lustre lists of Synonyms, and according to some of the other reader reviews, relatively common words missing entirely.At any rate I am pleased with this thesaurus and would happily recommend to anybody who is looking for a thesaurus on their Kindle.

In my youth, a thesaurus was a paper book organized like a dictionary. Under each word, listed alphabetically, was a listing of synonyms and antonyms. Seems like a candidate for quick and easy (and useful) reference on a lightweight Kindle.I found the Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases (2011) was disappointing. It's trying to connect your query word to a "cloud of similar meaning." Confusing. Sometimes I look for a work by searching the antonym list - gotta have that!This Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus works the way I expect. You locate a word within the reference just as you would for the built-in dictionary; simply type the word, then use the five-way selector to pick your target word as the search list changes in-step with your typing. The word entries provide the contents as I would expect from my old paper Thesaurus. For example, entry for "simple" links to seven other entries covering seven different way you might use it. The "simple" entry includes a brief description for each variation, and a hyperlink to the corresponding enumeration of synonyms, related words, antonyms and near antonyms. So far as I can tell, no other thesaurus for the Kindle is easier to use or offers better content.

This is a book I use daily. I like to turn the pages and find just the right word.

Gave this as a gift to a friend... she loves it!

Very good

Yes, for a research tome, its that good. Barbara Ann Kipfer is a legend in the field of linguistics. She goes a step further in this edition by presenting 15 classifications, such as "shapes," "measure and shape," "place," and so forth. I prefer this edition over newer versions.

I've got the 7th edition. This is an excellent language resource once you learn how to use it. First, learn how to use the categories in the beginning of the book. If you want my opinion, Roget's Thesaurus and The Synonym Finder are two completely different but equally indispensable resources if words are your profession (if you're a writer, journalist, translator, etc.). I use both of them plus the Oxford Synonyms and the Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus. Also, I ordered it online from outside the U.S., and Amazon delivered it even faster than promised, which was quite a nice surprise. Thanks

I bought this thesaurus along with the Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus and have to say that this sixth edition Roget's International Thesaurus has been one of the most useful reference tools I have. In order to find a particular word, one must go through two steps. First, find it in the index located in the back of the book and pick the subentry closest to the meaning you want. Second, follow the indicated number into the text of the thesaurus. The best feature of this thesaurus is the categorical listing.My vocabulary is limited. Admittedly, I never finished college. As an aspiring author who is working on her first novel, I need all the help I can get. I've found this thesaurus both very useful in that area and interesting as well.I received the Oxford's Thesaurus a week before the Roget's and have used the Roget's three times as much as the Oxford's. Honestly, I'd have to say it's worth more than I paid for it.

good

good book

I originally only wanted an up to date dictionary, so to get the 2 other books in one package was a pleasant suprise

A great resource with detailed definitions of those words serving as synonyms and antonyms allowing one to see the subtle differences in usage. This will be a very useful resource for me, as a poet.

Overall this is a great resource. But I have tried to look up a few words and they are not in there.However I would still recommend this book to any one who has anything to do with words in their life - like writers, web builders etc.

essential for writers from student to professional

good

Used when doing my daily crossword puzzles....

Comprehensive thesaurus with lots of synonyms, antonyms, and examples for the different uses of a single word and its different meanings. Fully searchable Kindle edition. You can find the exact word you are looking for, right from the search engine. Searches take a little longer than with the built-in dictionaries, but the content is much more complete.

Happily, content link has been implemented in this thesaurus and works in e-book form. A reference document is particularly disappointing in electronic format when a proper search function is neglected by the publisher. Someone (a copy editor) must build the hyper-links inside the digital media. Most publishers cheat and skip that part because it requires some work (and expense) above and beyond dumping the native digital format to .mobi (kindle) format.Most of the other (thesauri?) that I downloaded, tried and then returned did NOT perform a useful search for a word. Almost all claim to be searchable because the functionality of the kindle allows it to build an index based on a user input word or phrase. But that is the difference between an index (all occurrences of the word) and a table of contents (a specific location for the topic). The index approach used by almost all others can be overwhelming, sometimes dozens of occurrences of a word - without any indication of which entry is the 'location' for the expected list of synonyms.Curiously, 'parts of speech' such as: 'noun', 'verb', 'adjective', DO result in an index compilation, even in this volume. Virtually anything else will take you directly to the digital 'location' containing the synonyms, example uses, etc. A search for the word "comprehend", for example, yielded 32 synonyms and ~⅔ 'page' (8.9" kindle fire HDX, small font) of definition; adjectives and noun forms of the word each have their own separate page. I'm not a writer (Engineer... vocabulary challenged) so I can not comment reliably on the comprehensiveness of this thesaurus compared to others, but this e-book's ability to do contents SEARCH rather than INDEX seems to me to be essential - and so I recommend it! It seems to cost more than the rest; part of that is the cost of the copy editor's good work, and worth it!

Have always had a preference for the MW dictionary because it has everything in it with each definition. Took me a few weeks to figure out how to use all of the functions (I'm new to tablet technology) but am doing well now.Only drawback is I'm using the online version for many of the medical definitions I require for my college studies; this e-book version is missing most of those definitions. I may need to purchase a Tabot's dictionary instead but for regular literature, it has everything in it.

This is the second one of these I have purchased in the past year. My wife kept borrowing mine and after this last go-round with the coffee cup she received her very own copy. I find myself going between this one and Roget's Seventh Edition quite often. My wife absolutely hates Roget's and refuses to use it. I find almost equal value in both but do find Merriam's to be a little easier/faster to use. I have the hardback editions and have had no problems with the quality of either one of them.

It has a lot of words if I run out of words.

Okay

This book has a lot of words in it.

Purchasing a new thesaurus is fraught with peril! My 1968 Roget's Pocket Thesaurus crumbles into dust.Now on my desk - a 1983 Roget's Pocket Thesaurus, edited by Mawson, and Roget's International Thesaurus 7th edition (2010), edited by Kipfer. Thankfully, each has an index and preserves Peter Roget's schema of 'biological classification'. Each of these versions has its uses. I more often reach for my 1983 pocket edition because it's handy, literally. The Kipfer is also very good and clues one in to contemporary usage; but at five times the size. If you habitually care for words, there's no grief in having two or even three treasure troves. I also confess to having a Pocket Oxford American Thesaurus 2nd edition (alphabetic form); also truly useful but not truly pocket sized. You could lose yourself in any of the three, especially while writing the paper due in the morning.If I were choosing just one thesaurus to get lost in, my 1983 would win. But combining two attributes - humanly pocket-sized and categorical schema - made for a long search. I waited several months before a never-used 1983 pocket text showed up for sale. You probably want a new thesaurus before old age ensues.As to just one thesaurus, I suggest without hesitation the Kipfer Roget's International Thesaurus 7th edition. Buy a bigger book bag.

I bought three thesauri at the same time. I do quite a bit of technical writing and I needed multiple sources to draw from.I ordered this title, along with Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus, and Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus.The first synonym I needed was for "coordinate," as in "to coordinate..." Roget's 21st Century gave me 23 words and phrases, Websters gave only seven, and Roget's International eight. I've found similar disparities among the volumes for numerous other words.Roget's 21st Century is a terrific little book, inexpensive, small, and easily stays beside my PC. The others, well, I wish I'd saved my money. But they'll come in handy at some point, I'm sure.Roget's International is good but will be relegated to my bookshelf.

Kipfer, the editor of this edition of the Thesaurus, is to be congratulated on putting together a terrific update to this title. I've been using the fourth edition since sometime after it first came out, which is to say the edition just prior to the HarperCollins take over of the title in 1992, and it has served me very well---in particular, it's handy size (6" x 9") that fits comfortably in the hand despite its girth. One can't quite say that about this new 7th edition, for it's approximately 7.5" x 9.5" and printed on heavier paper stock making it 25% thicker and perhaps as much as double the weight of the version I was using. And this newest edition has only half as many thumb indexes as does the fourth edition. But all that is styling. As for the content, this new edition is very good. What I'd really like is an e-book!

I wanted this to be fantastic, but it's more of a book that you would read to increase your understanding of nuance than a reference book that can be used when you need a word. The organization is good, but I often find that words I'm searching for aren't included and I reach for my thesaurus again.

Was OK but not great.

as advertised

Overall the book was new, but i think their packaging should be more protective cause the downside to the delivery of this was that over half of the book's pages were folded and bent.

This book wasn't what I expected. I was expecting a larger size book. Even though it's small in size it gets the job done! I love my Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Syn. and Ant. turleback book. all smiles.

Book recevide is very well but it took about 2 weeks to receive this order.

Very useful when one has trouble spelling a word.

This is more a dictionary than a thesaurus, I was disappointed but needed it right away for a gift, so I didn't get to return it.

I rely heavily on a thesaurus as an educator. While this thesaurus is concise, it has a strange organization. Several times, when I'm searching for synonyms, I look up a particular word and am required to search secondary entries to find a list. It's very frustrating when I'm in a hurry, as I've had to conduct as many as four searches to find an entry with a list of synonyms.

When I “rate” my system is a little different from others.1 Star means the product and/or provider were awful and it is recommended you pass this totally2 Stars mean either the product or the provider failed3 Stars mean the product was exactly as advertised, arrived as expected (regardless of how long it took), and the supplier provided as was expected. This rating is usually where other people give 5 stars.4 Stars means that the product or supplier was superior in some way, (fast shipping, product better than expected, supplier went out of their way to care for it)5 Stars means that BOTH the product AND the supplier preformed in a superior manor in some way. (You will not see very many of these at all)Everyone should have one of these around. We refer to it quite often.

I gave this book 3 stars because I could not find many definitions or descriptions of words for the work that I do as a writer. As a thesaurus, it should be more indepth. And I also did not like the layout of the information. The book is ok but not that impressive.

Having used and liked my friend's Roget's 4th Edition Thesaurus, I wanted one of my own. But apparently, Roget's changed the format after the 4th Edition. Rather than get the latest Roget's (6th Edition?), which several buyers didn't like, I went for the Merriam-Webster. For one, it boasted over 60,000 more entries than Roget's. And, it was supposidely easier to use. Well, I've barely used it and I'm really disappointed. Several words I consider fairly common weren't even there! For example, look up "anomaly" in Roget's and you get 5 catagories, each with numerous word-choices. In Merriam-Webster "anomaly" isn't even there!! Neither is "vested". I'm sure there are dozens more. I wish I could return it, but it is 2-weeks past the 30-day limit.

The indexing system in this older version is superior to the current alphabetical system. The reason is that words are grouped thematically. You can scan through a section and find all kinds of related words in a way that is much more logical than trying to look them up alphabetically. It leads you to words you might not otherwise have thought of or looked for. Unfortunately, the vocabulary is 50 years old. That means there are too many archaic words, and none of the new terms that have entered the language since 1962. It would be fantastic if the current thesaurus publishers would go back to using this indexing system.

It't ok. I wish I got the one with hard binding as this one shows wear and tear after few uses.

A little difficult to learn how to use, but I think it is due to my age---over 60. Once I understood the layout it was much easier to find what I was looking for.

Harder to use than the Oxford English Writers Thesaurus and not as good.

Good condition.

The soft cover can't take the abuse you'll be giving this book. Great for any songwriter or poet... or word nerd.

not too many words inside. My daughter wants to do her homework. But not help too much.

Not very good - limited content.

It hards to find the words you need.

Not nearly as good as the Rodale Synonym Finder. I took the cheap route in buying this, as it turns out I ended up buying the Rodale anyway as this didn't suit my needs. For example, the very first word I loked up was "impact". It isn't listed.

thought i was getting a book of synonyms and antonyms instead i found that it was only meanings for words in it

I am returning this book, which was ordered alongside the Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. I had expected a sister volume to be the same dimensions as the dictionary, a replacement for my well-worn and beloved college companion. Unfortunately, this product was physically the dimensions of the old pocket books, possibly 4x6 (don't have a tape measure here), printed on newsprint quality paper. I know this is a good reference, so if you are looking for it, make sure the particular volume you are ordering is standard with respect to size and paper quality.

Not a great thesaurus. I have had better pocket editions compared to this particular edition.

but what I got was another dictionary. For each word, a definition is given with one synonym at the end of the entry. Usually the synonym is prefaced with SEE: followed by the other word?!? Not exactly what I had in mind when purchasing this book. If you can find it, "The Synonym Finder" still seems to be the best thesaurus out there.

I bought this so I could use a greater variety of words in my graduate level writing, but was very disappointed in the book. I suspect even undergraduates will be disappointed in this thesaurus. For a college thesaurus I expected much more

The words in the book are moderately extensive and serve my purpose pretty nicely! However, when it comes to reference material, a mandatory requirement for me is the ability to get from point A to point Z in as little time as possible! In order to find a word, you have to use the scroll bar at the bottom of the Kindle Fire, which in itself is a blatant hit-or-miss! Books that lack this feature are totally useless in the e-book world. Some reviews claim to have the quick-search feature on their Kindle devices and would like to know HOW??? You can't quick search on Merriam-Webster using the Fire or the Fire HD!!! If this e-book had quick-search, I would give it a 4 1/2!

I bought this book because I needed a thesaurus.I returned it because I only used it twice before I was told I had to go back and download it again. To much trouble.

The Penguin Concise Thesaurus is much better for crosswords as it has a very extensive list of synonyms for the word chosen.

I was not happy with the quality of this book. It was also blue, when the book is pictured as brown. It had a nasty cover on it and was not in the best shape.

If you are going to sell a writer's tool try review and edit your description. You missed the "an" space. On your keyboard it is the long rectangular button that may or may not have the word "space" on it. This word on the key might be capitalized. Press it to put space between words in a sentence.

I'm old school when it comes to dictionaries and thesaurus', I still prefer to use the big hardcover versions. With Roget's, I bought a used version that, with the exception of the faded, torn paper cover, is in fantastic condition.

I purchased the 7th Edition in great expectation of greater revision being made than the hardbound 5th edition I have been using htherto.The result is that I have found yet no bit of revision at all. What a waste!

Takes too long to find what I'm looking for.Waste time looking for word.Then you must find the section.Then choose one of words to continue your search.

Gave as a gift

Gave me no more pertinent information than my regular dictionary.

I bought this book specifically for teaching my child antonyms. She has a test on antonyms every week and they are hard to find. This book only gives the antonym for about every 40th word and then it is only one word. I am very disappointed.

It said this book was searchable but I couldn't figure out how to do it. If you want to literally page through 100s of pages to find your word it would be alright. It's much easier to use an online thesaurus where I can type in a word and find alternatives. This would be great as a physical book but as an ebook it sucks.

If you want to search for a word, for example; "wonderful", you either have to flip through all of the pages until you reach the w's or guess at a page number until you get to the right area. Not worth the money. I am very disappointed to say the least. I was forced to give it a star in order to submit. That was disappointing as well.Have a nice day!

This edition does not meet the standards of the previous edition. The layout is not as easy to follow. Also, this edition doesn't even contain synonyms for the color red. All it contains are references to a complexion, and I was forced to use the internet to find synonyms. I wish I had not given up the 14th edition for this one. I will not recommend it to anyone.

This person is a fraud, because I paid for a book that was never sent to me. Do not order from this person--THEFT!!!

I bought this for college and was very disappointed at the basic words. Won't be able to use it for college. The thesaurus on my computer is better. Would work for a high school or grade school student.

Being new to using a thesaurus, I bought this book in part because of its overall rating. The book was of no help with many of the words I looked up. Instead, I found Roget's Thesaurus to be much more useful and a wonderful tool.

This thesaurus is very complete! It is filled with all today's current slang. There are 26 threads for the f-word, as well as, graphic sexual terms. It's unfortunate because the way that this book is set up is very useful, but it is not child appropriate at all. I was very disappointed.

May 2011: Potential buyers should note that Amazon sells the 6th Edition (almost a decade old now) as the "paperback" edition of the current, 7th International edition. Not the same book. I only discovered this carelessness on Amazon's part after book was in process and order not able to be altered.Disappointing -- but you can avoid this: be attentive as you review your order, and you won't get caught with the hassle of sorting out Amazon's tedious mistake.

This book has an enormous number of synonyms and antonyms. The problem is that the index is so tiny, it is rare you will find in it the word you want, or even one near to it. So you go on a hunt. Take the word "primacy". The nearest word in the index is "prime". But this is in the section on preparedness. So perhaps "primary", but this is not in the index. Try perhaps "first". There is much there, but nothing near "primary", and with no assurance that "primacy" will be anywhere nearby. By now you have read hundreds of words and are nowhere near the word you set out to find. I rarely find anything I'm looking for in this book. My advice is find an indexed thesaurus that has a large index. This one is only 43 pages long in a book over 900 pages.