The meaning of GLOSSARY is a collection of textual glosses or of specialized terms with their meanings. Traditionally, a glossary appears at the end of a book and includes terms within that book that are either newly introduced, uncommon, or specialized. While glossaries are most commonly associated with non-fiction books, fiction novels sometimes include a glossary for unfamiliar terms.

Understanding the Context

GLOSSARY meaning: 1. an alphabetical list, with meanings, of the words or phrases in a text that are difficult to…. Learn more. Definition of glossary noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

Key Insights

a list of technical or special words, especially those in a particular text, explaining their meanings. She has compiled a glossary of horse-riding terms. The book includes a useful glossary of the technical terms used. A glossary of special, unusual, or technical words or expressions is an alphabetical list of them giving their meanings. A glossary of terms is included for the reader's convenience.

Final Thoughts

A glossary is a section at the end of a written work that defines confusing, technical, or advanced words. You can think of a glossary as a mini-dictionary for words used in that work. A glossary is a dictionary of terms specific to a certain subject. A biology textbook might have a glossary in the back, so you can quickly look up all those technical words.