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Definition of library

library

/ˈlaɪ.brɛə.ri/
li · brar · y
Plural:libraries
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library Lexical Profile

library Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A building or room containing collections of books, periodicals, and other resources for reading, reference, or borrowing.

Example

"She spent the entire afternoon studying in the quiet atmosphere of the university library."

2

An organized collection of books, records, or other materials kept for research, preservation, or personal use.

Example

"He inherited a vast personal library of rare historical biographies from his grandfather."

3

A collection of precompiled routines, subroutines, or software components that a program can use to develop or execute software.

Example

"The software developer imported a specialized graphics library to help render the new user interface."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for library

• Rhymes for library

• Nearby Words

libra
librarian
librarianship
library
librettist
libreville
libya

Word Origin & Etymology

From Middle English 'librarie', via Old French 'librairie', from Latin 'librarium' meaning 'bookcase' or 'chest for books', stemming from 'liber' meaning 'book, paper, or parchment'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Library. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/library
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