Webster's Dictionaries - Dictionaries - Legal and English Language

A Note on Webster Revisions and Editions

The following bibliography covers all the historical editions of a dictionary popularly known as the "Webster's Dictionary." It includes the 1828 and 1841 editions of Noah Webster's original dictionary and continues with the publications of the Merriam-Webster unabridged editions of the dictionary.

Editions

Since being acquired by the Merriam-Webster company in 1843, Webster’s dictionary has been released in four main editions. A new edition involves the evaluation of every definition in the volume. Out-of-date usages are deleted or changed and new words and usages are added. Each edition may be considered an entirely new work.

Revisions

A revision of a Webster’s edition is much more modest. After 1890, no substantive changes are made between revisions to the text of the dictionary itself. Words and usages are added, modified or removed from the addendum section only. Only non-substantial corrections are made to the text of the dictionary itself. Excepting the addendum sections, revisions of an edition may be considered the same work.

Webster's Print Edition and the Online Dictionary.

The 2002 revision of Webster's Third International Dictionary is latest revision of the dictionary in print. However the online version of the unabridged edition continues to add new words and definitions.