Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English


The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, first published by Longman in 1978, is an advanced learner's dictionary, providing definitions using a restricted vocabulary, helping non-native English speakers understand meanings easily. It is available in four configurations:
  • Printed book
  • Premium online access
  • Printed book plus premium online access
  • Reduced online version with no access charge
The dictionary is currently in its sixth edition. The premium website was revised in 2014 and 2015. It now offers over a million corpus examples, and includes sound files for every word, 88,000 example sentences, and various tools for study, teaching, examinations and grammar. The 9000 Most Important English Words to Learn have been highlighted via the Longman Communication 9000.
The free online version was updated in 2008 and offers search, definitions, collocations, and many examples and illustrations.

Longman Defining Vocabulary

A key feature of the LDOCE is its utilization of the Longman Defining Vocabulary, a 2200-word controlled defining vocabulary used to write all of the definitions in the dictionary. This defining vocabulary was developed from Michael West's General Service List of high-frequency words and their most common meanings.
The controlled defining vocabulary is not only helpful to second-language learners, but has also facilitated the use of the LDOCE as a machine-readable dictionary in computational linguistics research.

Longman Collocations Dictionary and Thesaurus

It is a version of LDOCE specialized for collocations, synonyms, antonyms, designed for intermediate to advanced level learners.

Publications

''Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English''

English dictionaries

LDOCE by Pearson English Language Teaching
  • 6th edition : Includes 230,000 words, phrases, and meanings; 165,000 corpus-based example sentences, Longman 9,000 keywords, 65,000 collocations, online access for print dictionary.
  • *Paperback bi-colour edition+12 months online subscription
  • **1st? impression
    ''Longman Handy Learner's Dictionary of American English''
  • 2nd? edition: Includes 28,000 words and phrases.

English-Chinese dictionaries

LDOCE by Longman
  • Third edition: Includes 80,000 entries, over 200 usage topics, 24 pages of coloured illustrations, 3,000 popular keywords, 20 Language Notes, over 150 new usage frequency tables, new IELTS vocabulary table. Optical disc includes only new contents not found in the printed LDOCE dictionary.
  • *Traditional Chinese version '' Third Edition/朗文當代高級辭典
  • **Paperback edition+disc
  • ***1st? impression
    LDOCE by Pearson English Language Teaching (Asia)
  • 4th edition: Includes 207,000 words, phrases, and meanings ; 155,000 usage examples, 7,000 synonyms and antonyms, over 250 usage topics, 14 pages of coloured illustrations, 3,000 popular keywords, Language Notes. Definitions use only 2000 common words. Optical disc includes contents from LDOCE and Longman Concise Chinese-English Dictionary.
  • *Traditional Chinese version 4th Edition/朗文當代高級辭典
  • **Hardcover edition+disc
  • ***1st? impression
  • **Hardcover condensed print edition+disc
  • ***1st? impression
  • 5th edition:
  • *Traditional Chinese version
  • **Hardcover edition with DVD
  • ***1st? impression
  • **Hardcover condensed print edition with DVD
  • ***1st? impression
    Longman Advanced American Dictionary by [Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press]
  • New edition: Includes 185,000 words, phrases, definitions ; 73,000 examples, over 1,000 word analyses, grammar hints, vocabulary choices, oral phrases, composition hints.
  • *Simplified Chinese version
  • **Hardcover edition
  • ***1st? impression
    LDOCE by Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press
  • 4th edition
  • *Simplified Chinese version
  • **Hardcover edition+disc
  • ***1st? impression
  • **Hardcover large print edition+disc 第4版)
  • ***1st? impression
  • **Hardcover condensed print edition
  • ***1st? impression
  • **Paperback condensed print edition 第4版)
  • ***1st? impression
  • 5th edition
  • *Simplified Chinese version
  • **Softcover edition
  • ***1st? impression
  • **Hardcover edition
  • ***1st? impression
  • **Hardcover large print edition+DVD
  • ***1st? impression
    LDOCE by Dahe shubao tushu gufen youxiangongsi
  • 5th edition: Includes 230,000 entries, 65,000 collocations, 18,000-word synonyms and antonyms, 3000 common oral and written words. New thesaurus, grammar, collocation sections. DVD supports Microsoft Windows 2000 to Windows 10, includes contents from LDOCE and Longman Concise Chinese-English Dictionary, English pronunciations, bookmarks and notes. Online contents includes online vocabulary and grammatical resources, Longman Communication 9000.
  • *Traditional Chinese version
  • **Hardcover bi-colour edition with four years online service +DVD
  • ***1st? impression
    LDOCE by XCome Technology Ltd.
  • 4th edition
  • *Android version : Based on Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English .
  • **1.5.8
  • *iOS version, 朗文當代高級辭典
  • **1.0
  • **1.1
  • **1.2
  • **1.3

Multilingual dictionaries

LDOCE by English Channel, Inc.
  • 5th edition: Free version includes Full-text Search activation. Pay features includes LDOCE 5th edition, examples sounds, Longman Activator Thesaurus.
  • *iOS version
  • **6.8
  • **6.9
  • **7.0
  • **7.1
  • **7.1.1
  • **7.1.2
  • **7.2
  • **8.1 : iPhone X support.
  • **8.3
  • **8.3.1
  • **8.3.2
  • **8.4
  • **8.4.1
  • **8.4.2 : iOS 12 support.
  • **8.5
  • **9.0
  • **9.1 : iOS 13 support.
  • **9.1.1
  • **9.2
  • **9.3
  • **9.4 : Adds Activator purchase option.
  • **9.5
  • **9.5.1
  • **9.6
  • **9.7 :

Longman Collocations Dictionary and Thesaurus

English dictionaries

  • 1st edition: Includes 75,000 collocations, 80,000 examples, 7,000 synonyms and antonyms, academic words list, academic collocations list. 1-year subscription includes additional collocations and synonyms, interactive exercises.
  • *Cased edition+12 months online subscription
  • *Peason Education Limited paperback bi-colour edition+12 months online subscription
  • *Peason Education Limited paperback bi-colour edition+12 months online subscription
  • **1st? impression
  • *Allyn & Bacon paperback bi-colour edition+12 months online subscription
  • **1st? impression