The Most Popular Medical Dictionary, Ranked

Choose the medical dictionary you think is the most popular!

Author: Gregor Krambs
Updated on May 10, 2024 06:44
Medical students, healthcare professionals, and curious minds often turn to medical dictionaries to clarify terms and concepts crucial to their studies or work. Selecting the right dictionary can significantly impact their understanding and efficiency. With numerous options available, identifying the most reliable and comprehensive medical dictionary can be a challenge. This site provides a solution by allowing users to cast votes for their preferred medical dictionaries. As votes accumulate, a dynamic ranking emerges, reflecting collective preferences and experiences. This feedback mechanism empowers new users to make informed choices based on peer recommendations, ensuring that their selection is well-suited to meet their learning or professional needs.

What Is the Most Popular Medical Dictionary?

  1. 1
    71
    votes

    Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary

    Merriam-Webster Inc.
    It is one of the most widely used medical dictionaries, with over 35,000 entries and a user-friendly interface.
    The Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary is a widely used and authoritative reference tool for medical terminology. It provides comprehensive definitions, explanations, and pronunciations of medical terms and concepts.
    • Publication Date: © 2016
    • Number of Entries: Up to 39,000
    • Coverage: Encompasses a wide range of medical specialties
    • Bilingual Support: No
    • Illustrations: Yes, includes some anatomical illustrations
  2. 2
    38
    votes
    It is a comprehensive medical dictionary that provides concise definitions and illustrations of medical terms. It is widely used by healthcare professionals and students.
    Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary is a comprehensive medical reference book that provides definitions, descriptions, and explanations of key medical terms and concepts. It is widely regarded as one of the most popular and authoritative medical dictionaries available.
    • Number of definitions: Over 60,000
    • Illustrations: Over 1,400
    • Drug information: Includes over 6,000 drug names
    • Medical abbreviations: Extensive list of abbreviations and acronyms
    • Audio pronunciation: Audio files for correct pronunciation of medical terms
  3. 3
    17
    votes

    Stedman's Medical Dictionary

    Thomas Lathrop Stedman
    It is one of the most authoritative medical dictionaries, with over 107,000 terms and definitions. It is widely used by healthcare professionals and students.
    Stedman's Medical Dictionary is a widely recognized and highly regarded medical dictionary that provides comprehensive and authoritative definitions of medical terms and healthcare concepts. It is an essential reference tool for healthcare professionals, medical students, and researchers.
    • First Edition Year: 1911
    • Current Edition: 28th Edition
    • Total Number of Entries: approximately 107,000
    • Coverage: Includes medical terms, anatomical terms, pharmaceutical drugs, abbreviations, medical devices, and more.
    • Illustrations: Contains over 1,200 full-color images and illustrations
  4. 4
    12
    votes
    It is a comprehensive medical dictionary that provides detailed illustrations and definitions of medical terms. It is widely used by healthcare professionals and students.
    Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary is a widely recognized medical reference book that provides comprehensive and up-to-date information on medical terms. It is often regarded as one of the most popular and authoritative medical dictionaries available.
    • Publication Year: First published in 1890, regularly updated
    • Number of Entries: Over 120,000 entries
    • Illustrations: Over 1,500 full-color illustrations
    • Audio Pronunciations: Includes audio pronunciations for thousands of terms
    • Abbreviations: Contains a comprehensive list of medical abbreviations
  5. 5
    19
    votes

    Oxford Medical Dictionary

    Oxford University Press
    It is a comprehensive medical dictionary that provides detailed definitions and explanations of medical terms. It is widely used by healthcare professionals and students.
    The Oxford Medical Dictionary is a widely recognized and highly respected medical reference tool. It provides comprehensive coverage of medical terminology, definitions, and information, serving as a valuable resource for healthcare professionals, students, and individuals interested in the medical field.
    • Number of entries: Over 12,000 entries
    • Content: Wide range of medical terms, including anatomy, physiology, diseases, treatments, medications, and more
    • Accuracy: Created and reviewed by experts in the medical field
    • Language: English
    • Formats available: Print, online, and mobile app versions
  6. 6
    8
    votes
    It is a comprehensive medical dictionary that provides detailed definitions and illustrations of medical terms. It is widely used by healthcare professionals and students.
    Mosby's Medical Dictionary is a comprehensive medical reference tool that provides definitions and explanations of medical terms, concepts, and procedures. It is considered to be one of the most popular medical dictionaries and is widely used by healthcare professionals, students, and researchers.
    • Number of Entries: over 56,000 entries
    • Definitions: clear and concise definitions for medical terms and concepts
    • Illustrations: includes over 2,450 full-color illustrations
    • Pronunciation Guide: audio pronunciations for most entries
    • Etymology: information on the origin and development of medical terms
  7. 7
    7
    votes
    It is a comprehensive medical dictionary that provides detailed definitions and illustrations of medical terms. It is widely used by healthcare professionals and students.
    The Medical Dictionary by Farlex is a comprehensive online dictionary that provides definitions and explanations for medical terms. It covers a wide range of medical specialties and is designed to be a reliable resource for healthcare professionals, medical students, and individuals seeking medical information.
    • Extensive Coverage: Contains over 120,000 medical terms and definitions.
    • Pronunciations: Includes phonetic pronunciation guides for most terms.
    • Etymology: Provides information on the origin and history of medical terms.
    • Multilingual Support: Offers translations of medical terms in various languages.
    • Thorough Explanations: Includes detailed explanations and examples for complex medical concepts.
  8. 8
    8
    votes
    It is a comprehensive medical dictionary that provides detailed definitions and explanations of medical terms. It is widely used by healthcare professionals and students.
    MedTerms Medical Dictionary is a comprehensive online medical reference that provides definitions and explanations of a wide range of medical terms and conditions. It is designed to help healthcare professionals, patients, and individuals seeking medical knowledge to understand the language and terminology used in the field of medicine.
    • Extensive Coverage: It includes over 16,000 medical terms and definitions, covering various branches of medicine.
    • Easy-to-Use Interface: The dictionary offers a user-friendly interface, with a simple search bar for quick access to information.
    • Multiple Search Options: Users can search for medical terms by keyword, alphabetical listing, medical specialty, or body system.
    • Pronunciation Assistance: Audio pronunciations are available for difficult or unfamiliar medical terms.
    • Cross-References: The dictionary includes links and cross-references between related terms, helping users navigate through the medical terminology.
  9. 9
    6
    votes
    It is a comprehensive medical dictionary that provides detailed definitions and explanations of medical terms. It is widely used by healthcare professionals and patients.
    MedlinePlus Medical Dictionary is an online medical dictionary that provides users with definitions and explanations of medical terms and concepts. It is a comprehensive resource for understanding medical terminology and can be used by both medical professionals and the general public.
    • Language: English
    • Accessibility: Online, available worldwide
    • Coverage: Extensive coverage of medical terms and concepts
    • Source: Curated from trusted sources, including the U.S. National Library of Medicine
    • Updates: Regularly updated to include the latest medical terminology
  10. 10
    8
    votes
    It is a comprehensive medical dictionary that provides detailed definitions and explanations of medical terms. It is widely used by healthcare professionals and patients.
    RxList Medical Dictionary is a comprehensive online medical dictionary that provides definitions and explanations for various medical terms. It covers a wide range of medical topics and is designed to assist healthcare professionals, students, and patients in understanding medical terminology.
    • Number of Entries: Over 40,000 medical terms
    • Search Functionality: Powerful search engine to quickly find medical terms
    • Detailed Definitions: In-depth explanations and definitions for each medical term
    • Cross-References: Links to related terms for better understanding
    • Medical Abbreviations: Includes abbreviations commonly used in the medical field

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Discussion

Ranking factors for popular medical dictionary

  1. Comprehensiveness
    A good medical dictionary should cover the full range of medical terminologies, including medical conditions, symptoms, treatments, diagnostic tests, medical procedures, and medications.
  2. Accuracy
    The information provided in the medical dictionary should be accurate, up-to-date, and in line with the latest medical research and guidelines.
  3. Ease of use
    A user-friendly interface is essential for a medical dictionary. The search tool should be intuitive and offer autocomplete suggestions while users type in their queries. The inclusion of cross-references and hyperlinks is also helpful for users to navigate through the information.
  4. Readability
    Clear and concise definitions that are written in plain language will help users understand complex medical terms easily. Providing context, examples, and explanations for terminologies will also improve readability.
  5. Credibility
    The source of information in the dictionary should be reputable and authoritative. It should preferably be compiled and reviewed by expert medical professionals and organizations.
  6. Regular updates
    Medicine is a constantly evolving field, and it is crucial for a medical dictionary to stay up-to-date with the latest advancements, discoveries, and changes in medical terminology.
  7. Accessibility
    A popular medical dictionary should be easily accessible, such as being available both online and offline or in the format of a mobile app.
  8. Visual aids
    The inclusion of images, diagrams, and illustrations can be beneficial in helping users better understand certain medical concepts and terms.
  9. Additional features
    Some medical dictionaries offer added value through features like pronunciation guides, abbreviations, acronyms, and medical classifications. These additional features can be helpful to users and make the medical dictionary more popular.

About this ranking

This is a community-based ranking of the most popular medical dictionary. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or medical dictionary is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!

Statistics

  • 1894 views
  • 193 votes
  • 10 ranked items

Voting Rules

A participant may cast an up or down vote for each medical dictionary once every 24 hours. The rank of each medical dictionary is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.

More information on most popular medical dictionary

Medical dictionaries are an essential tool for healthcare professionals, students, and anyone interested in medical terminology. With a vast range of medical dictionaries available in the market, it can be challenging to determine which one is the most popular. The popularity of a medical dictionary is usually determined by its comprehensiveness, accuracy, ease of use, and accessibility. Some of the most popular medical dictionaries include Stedman's Medical Dictionary, Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary, and Mosby's Medical Dictionary. Each of these dictionaries features a vast collection of medical terms, definitions, and illustrations, making them an excellent resource for medical professionals and students alike. Additionally, many medical dictionaries are available in digital formats, making them accessible from anywhere, at any time.

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