This 942-page volume shows you how to use the right word in the right place, quickly and clearly. The alphabetical arrangement saves hunting through an index and its easy-to-use cross-reference system pinpoints related words. Webster's New Dictionary of Synonyms contains synonymies in which words of similar meaning are defined and discriminated and illustrated with thousands of pertinent quotations from both classic and contemporary writers, showing the language in actual precise use.

Antonyms, analogous words, and contrasted words provide additional information on word relationships. And the introduction presents an informative and helpful survey of the history of synonomy.

From Jerome Stern's Making Shapely Fiction, "Part IV – Readables: Where to Learn More", page 269:

I don't know why people don't recommend this to each other more often. Unlike a thesaurus, which simply lists words, this book explains and exemplifies the differences of connotation and usage between similar words, like decry, depreciate, disparage, derogate, detract, belittle, and minimize. In a world in which people seem relatively insensitive, callous, indurated, and incurious about language, it's important for writers to preserve the subtleties and nuances that enrich both our vocabulary and our meanings.

Tags: Thesaurus, WritingReference