Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary & Thesaurus, Deluxe Audio Edition (Version 3.0)

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Summary: Excellent reference for proofreaders and copy editors
Review: What I appreciate about this dictionary are the marvelous lists of words using prefixes. Whether to hyphenate a word or not frequently comes up in my work involving proofreading and copyediting; this dictionary is the first reference I consult. It would be nearly perfect if there were a like list of common abbreviations, e.g., how does one abbreviate curriculum vitae? I had to go to the web to find out.

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Summary: More on the Forte controversy
Review: The dictionary has altered its definition of this word in order to reflect its usage. This is what a dictionary should do, and Noah Webster would certainly approve.

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Summary: The best dictionary under 100 lbs.
Review: This is the definitive dictionary of American English. If you're looking for the 'right' one, you've found it. (And the latest edition even addresses the "fort vs. for-tay" controversy.)

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Summary: THIS IS THE BEST DICTIONARY AVAILABLE!!!!
Review: THE ABSOLUTE BEST DICTIONARY AROUND AND IS A NECESSARY TOOL FOR ANY BUSINESS, STUDENT, SCHOOL OR HOME TO HAVE.

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Summary: Without question
Review: This is an essential text, of immense benefit to any college student, copy editor, journalist, etc. I rarely come up dry on this one, unlike the New World or American Heritage College Dictionaries. It is perfectly sized and will not clog your workspace like the unabridged versions. Like any work of this kind, there are bound to be entries in which subtle points of pronunciation or usage come into question, but this is no Encarta--only a person with the Oxford lodged in their colon could consider the Webster's Collegiate 'permissive.'

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Summary: forte?
Review: According to our South Bay Area friend, this dictionary maintains that the French pronunciation of "forte" would be "for." If the dictionary does in fact make that claim, it is worth more as a doorstop than as a dictionary. "Fort" would be pronounced "for." "Forte" is pronounced "fort" (more or less).

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Summary: Fantastic updates & adding new info to old entries
Review: They really do their homework by adding new meanings to old entries. For example, the entries under "witch" have been updated to include the current use of the neo-pagan description, instead of limiting it to the older (i.e. post-1300AD) Christian point-of-view.

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Summary: I would trust Merriam Webster with my life!
Review: This is the best college dictionary you can buy. Merriam Webster has over a century of reliable scholarship and an almost eerie ability to know exactlywhen a "new" word has ceased to be non-standard and has entered the mainstream of American English. Other dictionaries try and fail because they do not have the resources that the staff at Merriam Webster has. DO NOT confuse this dictionary with "Webster's" dictionaries! There is simply no comparison. This is the real thing.

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Summary: A tour-de-force of the English language
Review: This is a marvellous dictionary. Its vocabulary is extensive and it supplements its definitions with etymological notes, synonyms and even the occasional illustration. Before buying it, I did wonder if there were some subtle hint being dropped by KARINA SUAREZ who, on the one hand, lauded this book, and yet, on the other, managed to misspell "disappointed" as "dissapointed". But I am relieved to report it was merely a faux-pas by her! Fear not.

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Summary: Totally practical for students age10 through college
Review: I have taught high school English for 32 years. Of all the dictionaries available, our school has chosen this dictionary. It provides etymology, archaic through current meaning(s), related forms, and myriad other information many students need after they complete high school and enter college, including geographical information and, most importantly, punctuation and research guides. It also makes teaching ABOUT dictionary use a joy. Currently our 200 freshmen are studying how to use a dictionary fully. I don't know what our district did before we purchased our first Mirriam Webster's set nearly twenty years ago. Hope it stays in publication.