Italian Dictionaries

When researching dictionaries (and all products for that matter), I ask myself, if I were studying this language, what dictionary would I purchase for myself? What is the best dictionary to suit my language learning needs? For Italian dictionaries, the answer is listed on the Italian language resource page. Though, I’m happy to explain the reasoning behind my selections — please continue reading.

Concise dictionaries are generally a good selection for the language learning beginner. They offer a decent word-count, many extra features useful for the language learner, and are usually printed well and on good paper. Concise dictionaries also have the benefit of being fairly inexpensive. For those reasons, the Collins Italian Concise Dictionary, 4e is my recommended pick for an Italian dictionary. To solve all major needs, I have listed other dictionaries as well.

For Italian dictionaries, I have found three excellent concise dictionaries. They are Webster’s New World Italian Dictionary, Collins Italian Concise Dictionary, 4e, and the Concise Oxford-Paravia Italian Dictionary. I chose the Collins for two major reasons. The Collins has a recent publication date and is half the price of the Oxford.

Webster’s New World Italian Dictionary is has been considered the best Italian concise dictionary for some time. It is a fine dictionary and is said to be more detailed than the Collins. The problem with the Webster’s is its publication date: 1985. The world has certainly changed since 1985 — many new words have been formed. For this reason, I have chosen Collins over Webster’s.

The Concise Oxford-Paravia Italian Dictionary is sometimes considered a slightly better dictionary than the Collins, but as a hardcover, it’s much heavier, making it more difficult to transport. If price, size, and weight aren’t an issue for you, go with the Oxford. Otherwise, the Collins is a fine choice.

Regarding desk reference dictionaries, there is one in particular that is worth a look. The Oxford-Paravia Italian Dictionary, a 2800-page hardcover that is worthy of your desk space for the intense Italian language learner, or maybe future translator? This one should solve just about every need you have, and then I would recommend a monolingual Italian dictionary.

Mini dictionaries can also be useful. These are the dictionaries that you can actually keep in your pocket. Unless you have a large jacket with room to spare, you’re not going to be able to fit the so-called “pocket” dictionaries (at least by most publisher’s standards) into your pocket, and don’t even consider the concise dictionaries for this purpose. The mini dictionaries published by Larousse or the gem dictionaries by Collins will fit snugly in your jeans pocket. For these, check out the Larousse Mini Dictionary Italian or the Collins Gem Italian, 6th Edition.

And this concludes 5-6 hours of Italian dictionaries research. Expect more in the future when I can get my hands on a good selection of each to provide full reviews. Until then, happy Italian language learning.