EASY-TO-UNDERSTAND DEFINITIONS HELP YOU COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY.* More than 215,000 definitions deliver extensive coverage of the words you need.* Illustrations and tables aid understanding and offer information at a glance.SPELLINGS AND PRONUNCIATIONS HELP YOU WRITE AND SPEAK ACCURATELY.* Entries present correct spellings for more than 160,000 words and phrases.* Detailed symbols show most-common pronunciations and acceptable variants.USAGE GUIDES AND SYNONYM PARAGRAPHS HELP YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD.* Authoritative usage notes and paragraphs answer questions about how words are used.* Synonym paragraphs go beyond a thesaurus to explain shades of difference among words.SPECIAL SECTIONS OFFER UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION TO HELP BUILD YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE.* Special sections include: Biographical Names, Geographical Names, Abbreviations, Foreign Words and Phrases, Signs and Symbols.* A Handbook of Style provides essential information to improve your writing.