What does good mean?

What does good mean?. The world's largest and most trusted free online dictionary: definitions, synonyms, word origins, example sentences, word games, and more.

What does good mean? - The Free Dictionary

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[n] benefit(for your own good what's the good of worrying?)[a] having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified(good news from the hospital a good report card when she was good she was very very good a good knife is one good for cutting this stump will

good

good - The Free Dictionary

[n] benefit
(for your own good what's the good of worrying?)

[a] having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
(good news from the hospital a good report card when she was good she was very very good a good knife is one good for cutting this stump will make a good picnic table a good check a good joke a good exterior paint a good secretary a good dress for the office)

[r] (often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (`good' is a nonstandard dialectal variant for `well')
(the children behaved well a task well done the party went well he slept well a well-argued thesis a well-seasoned dish a well-planned party the baby can walk pretty good)

[n] moral excellence or admirableness
(there is much good to be found in people)

[a] having the normally expected amount
(gives full measure gives good measure a good mile from here)

[r] completely and absolutely (`good' is sometimes used informally for `thoroughly')
(he was soundly defeated we beat him good)

[n] that which is pleasing or valuable or useful
(weigh the good against the bad among the highest goods of all are happiness and self-realization)

[a] morally admirable

[n] articles of commerce

[a] deserving of esteem and respect
(all respectable companies give guarantees ruined the family's good name)

[a] promoting or enhancing well-being
(an arms limitation agreement beneficial to all countries the beneficial effects of a temperate climate the experience was good for her)

[a] agreeable or pleasing
(we all had a good time good manners)

[a] of moral excellence
(a genuinely good person a just cause an upright and respectable man)

[a] having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
(adept in handicrafts an adept juggler an expert job a good mechanic a practiced marksman a proficient engineer a lesser-known but no less skillful composer the effect was achieved by skillful retouching)

[a] thorough
(had a good workout gave the house a good cleaning)

[a] with or in a close or intimate relationship
(a good friend my sisters and brothers are near and dear)

[a] financially sound
(a good investment a secure investment)

[a] most suitable or right for a particular purpose
(a good time to plant tomatoes the right time to act the time is ripe for great sociological changes)

[a] resulting favorably
(it's a good thing that I wasn't there it is good that you stayed it is well that no one saw you all's well that ends well)

[a] exerting force or influence
(the law is effective immediately a warranty good for two years the law is already in effect (or in force))

[a] capable of pleasing
(good looks)

[a] appealing to the mind
(good music a serious book)

[a] in excellent physical condition
(good teeth I still have one good leg a sound mind in a sound body)

[a] tending to promote physical well-being; beneficial to health
(beneficial effects of a balanced diet a good night's sleep the salutary influence of pure air)

[a] not forged
(a good dollar bill)

[a] not left to spoil
(the meat is still good)

[a] generally admired
(good taste)

Other vocabulary

g, g clef, g suit, g-force, g-jo, g-man, g-string, g. b. shaw, g. e. moore, g. k. chesterton, g. l. von blucher, g. r. kirchhoff, g. stanley hall, g.i., ga, gaap, gab, gaba, gabapentin, gabardine, gabble, gabbro, gabby, gaberdine, gabfest, gable, gable end, gable roof, gable wall, gabled, o, o level, o ring, o'brien, o'casey, o'clock, o'connor, o'er, o'flaherty, o'hara, o'keeffe, o'neill, o'toole, o. henry, o.d., o.e.d., o.k., oaf, oafish, oahu, oahu island, oak, oak apple, oak blight, oak chestnut, oak fern, oak leaf cluster, oak tree, oak-leaved goosefoot, oaken

Dictionary

A dictionary is a listing of lexemes from the lexicon of one or more specific languages, often arranged alphabetically (or by consonantal root for Semitic languages or radical and stroke for ideographic languages), which may include information on definitions, usage, etymologies, pronunciations, translation, etc. It is a lexicographical reference that shows inter-relationships among the data.

A broad distinction is made between general and specialized dictionaries. Specialized dictionaries include words in specialist fields, rather than a complete range of words in the language. Lexical items that describe concepts in specific fields are usually called terms instead of words, although there is no consensus whether lexicology and terminology are two different fields of study. In theory, general dictionaries are supposed[citation needed] to be semasiological, mapping word to definition, while specialized dictionaries are supposed to be onomasiological, first identifying concepts and then establishing the terms used to designate them. In practice, the two approaches are used for both types. There are other types of dictionaries that do not fit neatly into the above distinction, for instance bilingual (translation) dictionaries, dictionaries of synonyms (thesauri), and rhyming dictionaries. The word dictionary (unqualified) is usually understood to refer to a general purpose monolingual dictionary.

There is also a contrast between prescriptive or descriptive dictionaries; the former reflect what is seen as correct use of the language while the latter reflect recorded actual use. Stylistic indications (e.g. "informal" or "vulgar") in many modern dictionaries are also considered by some to be less than objectively descriptive.

The first recorded dictionaries date back to Sumerian times around 2300 BCE, in the form of bilingual dictionaries, and the oldest surviving monolingual dictionaries are Chinese dictionaries c. 3rd century BCE. The first purely English alphabetical dictionary was A Table Alphabeticall, written in 1604, and monolingual dictionaries in other languages also began appearing in Europe at around this time. The systematic study of dictionaries as objects of scientific interest arose as a 20th-century enterprise, called lexicography, and largely initiated by Ladislav Zgusta. The birth of the new discipline was not without controversy, with the practical dictionary-makers being sometimes accused by others of having an "astonishing" lack of method and critical-self reflection.