WordWeb

Information

The thesaurus is integrated into the dictionary. Under each definition, various related words are shown, including:

• Synonyms
• Antonyms
• Hyponyms ('play' lists several subtypes of play, including 'passion play')
• Hypernyms ('daisy' is listed as a type of 'flower')
• Constituents (under 'forest', listed parts include 'tree' and 'underbrush')
• Words describing things that might be thereby constituted
• Similar words (words that are not synonyms, but are semantically similar; 'big' is listed as similar to 'huge')

Users can also actively improve the dictionary and thesaurus by submitting errors (such as missing words, phrases, or more senses for existing entries) and enhancement requests.

Versions

There are two WordWeb versions: the free version, which does not have the word list, search, anagram, or customization features; and the paid version, WordWeb Pro.

WordWeb 5 added the ability to list entries from three online sources: Wikipedia, Wiktionary, and WordWeb Online. These details appear in three separate tabs. Version 6 added audio pronunciations and support for third-party Oxford and Chambers add-on dictionaries.

WordWeb 7 was mainly a content upgrade, with revised definition and sound databases, but it also had significantly updated one-click support for the latest browsers and 64-bit programs. Other changes included updated audio pronunciations, improved one-click integration with other programs, better one-click 64-bit and Windows 8 program support, keyboard hotkeys for Bookmark menu items, and auto-detect support for the latest third-party Concise Oxford and Merriam-Webster dictionary add-ons.

As of version 7, WordWeb required Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10.

WordWeb 8 includes one-click and keyboard lookup, including Mozilla Thunderbird and Firefox without browser plugins. Support for Windows XP was dropped.

Open-source alternative

No version of WordWeb (including Pro) is available for Unix, however, it can be used with Wine. Artha, a similar program that includes some of WordWeb Pro's features, is available for both Linux and Windows; a port to Macintosh is promised.

License

Use of the free version is subject to license terms. However, it may be used by an educational institution (free of cost) for their students, even if they violate said terms.

Regions

WordWeb is regionalized, with specific dictionaries for Australian, British, Canadian, American, Irish, New Zealand, South African, and Indian English.

References

References

1. "Review: WordWeb dictionary is a crossword-puzzle fan's dream".
2. "WordWeb Dictionary app review: one dictionary app with a wealth of online resources 2021".
3. [https://web.archive.org/web/20161104051039/http://wordweb.info/WhatsNew.html What's New]
4. [https://web.archive.org/web/20161104050752/http://wordweb.info/features.html WordWeb Pro features]
5. "Artha Homepage on Sourceforge".
6. "WordWeb Free Version License".