It is sometimes argued that no two words have exactly the same meaning. Even words as similar in meaning as close and shut may have slightly different nuances. Closing a shop implies that the shop is no longer open for business, so no one can come in. On the other hand, shutting a shop implies that the shop is being made secure, so that nothing can be taken out. A similar distinction is found between strong and powerful: powerful enemies may threaten from outside, but a strong defence on the inside will deter them from attacking. However, these are unusually subtle distinctions: for most practical purposes, close and shut have the same meaning. Other synonyms are more distant, or emphasize different aspects of the meaning. For example, another close synonym of strong is muscular, but it places much more emphasis on physical strength. By contrast, stalwart and staunch are synonyms that emphasize more abstract aspects of this meaning of strong. Forceful, secure, durable, loud, intense, bright, and alcoholic are other close synonyms of strong, but all in quite different senses. They are not, of course, synonyms of each other.
In this book, the broadest possible definition of the term ‘synonym’ has been adopted, as being the one that will be most useful to users. Even words whose meaning is quite distantly related to that of the headword are supplied if they can be used to get the same message across in some contexts or if they are synonymous with a part of the meaning of the headword.
The synonyms in each entry are grouped together in synonym sets. Major synonym sets correspond roughly to different senses of a word in a dictionary, but the divisions are also governed by the matches between headwords and synonyms. Each major synonym set is numbered, and many have finer subdivisions, which are marked by semicolons.
At the start of almost every synonym set is a ‘core synonym’: the term which is closest in meaning to the headword in that particular sense. Core synonyms are printed in bold. If no one synonym is particularly close, there may be no bold core synonym. Some synonym sets have more than one core synonym; for example at avant-garde (adjective), both innovative and advanced are very close in meaning to the headword, so both are given as core synonyms. Two different core synonyms within the same sense group may emphasize slightly different aspects of the meaning of the headword. For example, at dutiful, the first core synonym given is conscientious, followed by a group of words closely related to this aspect of its meaning. Then, after a semicolon, a second core synonym, obedient, is given, with a further group of synonyms related to that aspect.
Synonyms whose usage is restricted in some way, such as regional expressions and informal or very formal words, are placed at the end of each major synonym set and labelled accordingly. See Register.