The RAE presents its first dictionary of synonyms and antonyms with 255,000 related terms.

Miguel G. Casallo

The Royal Spanish Academy presented this Wednesday in Madrid its first Dictionary of Synonyms, Antonyms, and Related Terms, an unprecedented publication in the history of the institution that gathers 255,000 synonyms or related terms and more than 20,000 antonyms. The work, published by Espasa, compiles this material in over 44,000 entries and aims to become a reference tool for the entire Spanish-speaking world.

This new volume represents one of the most ambitious lexicographic projects recently undertaken by the Academy and is part of its strategy to promote clear language and facilitate access to linguistic knowledge. According to the RAE director, Santiago Muñoz Machado, who spoke during the presentation, the institution is currently collaborating with various academies and international organizations in the development of resources that promote more comprehensible and precise communication.

"We are encouraging many institutions in many countries, many Academies, with the formulation of guides for clear language," said Muñoz Machado, who argued that this publication "fits perfectly" within that concern to make the use of the language more accessible. The director also added that the RAE is developing "several things for the first time" throughout this year, placing this dictionary as one of the most outstanding milestones.

For her part, the head of the RAE's Institute of Lexicography, Elena Zamora, highlighted the dynamic and lively nature of Spanish, especially in the field of synonyms. "As the language is alive, it is really the speakers who are creators, especially of synonyms," she explained during the event, where she also emphasized the significant presence of colloquial uses and variants from different Spanish-speaking territories.

A tool for language lovers

The Academy has conceived this work with a pan-Hispanic approach, incorporating words and equivalences used in different Spanish-speaking countries. In this way, the dictionary seeks to reflect the lexical diversity of current Spanish and offer linguistic alternatives adapted to different communicative contexts and registers.

In addition to serving as a reference tool for specialists and scholars of the language, the RAE considers that the volume will have practical utility for students, journalists, writers, translators, and any user interested in enriching their vocabulary or finding more precise expressions. The institution thus focuses on the ability of synonyms and antonyms to improve clarity, avoid repetitions, and nuance meanings in everyday communication.

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