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index

noun · verb

Simple meaning

An alphabetical listing of names and topics along with page numbers where they are discussed.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

indeks

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US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈɪndɛks

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. An alphabetical listing of names and topics along with page numbers where they are discussed

  2. An alphabetical listing of items and their location.

  3. The finger next to the thumb

  4. That which points out; that which shows, indicates, manifests, or discloses.

  5. A movable finger on a gauge, scale, etc.

  6. computingespecially programming and databases

    An integer or other key indicating the location of data, e.g. within an array, vector, database table, associative array, or hash table.

verb

  1. chiefly economics

    To normalise in order to account for inflation; to correct for inflation by linking to a price index in order to maintain real levels.

  2. To measure by an associated value.

  3. To inventory; to take stock.

  4. Provide with an index

  5. List in an index

  6. transitive

    To arrange an index for something, especially a long text.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
A1 · Beginner (estimated)
Frequency
Very Common
Typical Use
Varies by meaning

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: An alphabetical listing of names and topics along with page numbers where they are discussed

Used this way, index is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
Matter-of-fact
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Nearby words

  • forefinger , a specialist term, precise but narrower

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

Finger

index finger

Single

index number

Other combinations

price indexrefractive indexindex cardssubject indexauthor indexgeneral index

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

  • indexingnounInflected form

    The act of classifying and providing an index in order to make items easier to retrieve.

  • indexernounInflected form

    Someone who provides an index.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • index numbernounCompound term

    A number or ratio (a value on a scale of measurement) derived from a series of observed facts.

  • index of refractionnounCompound term

    The ratio of the velocity of light in a vacuum to that in a medium.

  • index registernounCompound term

    A register used to determine the address of an operand.

  • index casenounCompound term

    The earliest documented case of a disease that is included in an epidemiological study.

  • index fingernounCompound term

    The finger next to the thumb.

  • index fossilnounCompound term

    A fossil known to have lived in a particular geologic age that can be used to date the rock layer in which it is found.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: alphabetical listing of names and topics along with page numbers where they are discussed

forefingerTechnicalindex finger

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.