Make Your Editor Cry: Dictionary (Awkward Plural)

Make Your Editor Cry: Dictionary (Awkward Plural)

BLUF: (Bottom Line Up Front)
The plural of dictionary is dictionaries.

dictionary: a reference source in print or electronic form containing words usually alphabetically arranged along with information about their forms, pronunciations, functions, etymologies, meanings, and syntactic and idiomatic uses

The singular of dictionary is dictionary. The plural of dictionary is dictionaries. The noun dictionary conforms to the standard rules for forming the plurals of nouns in English.

Spellings are made by people. Dictionaries - eventually - reflect popular choices.
People are under the impression that dictionaries legislate language. What a dictionary does is keep track of usages over time.

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