Editing Thesaurus (section)

==Organization==

===Conceptual===
Roget's original thesaurus was organized into 1000 conceptual Heads (e.g., 806 Debt) organized into a four-level [[taxonomy (general)|taxonomy]]. For example, debt is classed under V.{{Smallcaps|ii}}.iv:<ref>Peter Mark Roget, ''Thesaurus of English words and phrases, classified so as to facilitate the expression of ideas'', 1853, [https://books.google.com/books?id=2c4WAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA204 V.{{Smallcaps|ii}}.iv, p. 204]</ref>
:Class five, ''Volition: the exercise of the will''
::Division Two: ''Social volition''
:::Section 4: ''Possessive Relations''
::::Subsection 4: ''Monetary relations''.
Each head includes direct synonyms: Debt, obligation, liability, ...; related concepts: interest, usance, usury; related persons: debtor, debitor, ... defaulter (808); verbs: to be in debt, to owe, ... ''see'' Borrow (788); phrases: to run up a bill or score, ...; and adjectives: in debt, indebted, owing, .... Numbers in parentheses are [[cross-reference]]s to other Heads.

The book starts with a Tabular Synopsis of Categories laying out the hierarchy,<ref>Roget, ''op.cit.'' [https://books.google.com/books?id=2c4WAAAAQAAJ&pg=PR26 p. xxvi]</ref> then the main body of the thesaurus listed by the Head, and then an alphabetical index listing the different Heads under which a word may be found: Liable, ''subject to'', 177; ''debt'', 806; ''duty'', 926.<ref>Roget, ''op.cit.'' [https://books.google.com/books?id=2c4WAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA349 p. 349]</ref>

Some recent versions have kept the same organization, though often with more detail under each Head.<ref>''e.g.'', George Davidson, ed., ''Thesaurus of English words and phrases'' (150th Anniversary Edition), Penguin, 2002, {{isbn|0141004428}}, p. 454</ref> Others have made modest changes such as eliminating the four-level taxonomy and adding new heads: one has 1075 Heads in fifteen Classes.<ref>[[Barbara Ann Kipfer]], ed., ''Roget's International Thesaurus'', 7th edition, Collins Reference, 2010, {{isbn|9780061715228}}</ref>

Some non-English thesauri have also adopted this model.<ref>Daniel Péchoin, ''Thésaurus Larousse'', Larousse 1991, {{isbn|9782033201074}}</ref>

In addition to its taxonomic organization, the ''[[Historical Thesaurus of English]]'' (2009) includes the date when each word came to have a given meaning. It has the novel and unique goal of "charting the semantic development of the huge and varied vocabulary of English".

Different senses of a word are listed separately. For example, three different senses of "debt" are listed in three different places in the taxonomy:<ref>Christian Kay, Jane Roberts, Michael Samuels, Irené Wotherspoon, ''Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary'', Oxford University Press 2009, {{isbn|9780199208999}}, p. ix</ref>
<br/>'''A sum of money that is owed or due; a liability or obligation to pay'''<br/>
:Society
::Trade and Finance
:::Management of Money
::::Insolvency
:::::Indebtedness [noun]
<br/>'''An immaterial debt; is an obligation to do something'''<br/>
:Society
::Morality
:::Duty or obligation
::::[noun]
<br/>'''An offence requiring expiation (figurative, Biblical)'''<br/>
:Society
::Faith
:::Aspects of faith
::::Spirituality
:::::Sin
::::::[noun]
:::::::instance of

===Alphabetical===

Other thesauri and synonym dictionaries are organized alphabetically.

Most repeat the list of synonyms under each word.<ref name="longman">''Longman Synonym Dictionary'', Rodale Press and Longman Group, 1986, {{isbn|0582893224}}</ref><ref name="websters">Charlton Laird, Michael Agnes, eds., ''Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus'', Macmillan USA, 3rd edition, 1971, {{isbn|0028632818}}</ref><ref name="oxfordamerican">Christine A. Lindberg, ''The Oxford American Thesaurus of Current English'', Oxford University Press, 1999, {{isbn|0195133757}}</ref><ref name="oxford">''Oxford Thesaurus of English'', 3rd edition, 2009, {{isbn|9780199560813}}</ref>

Some designate a principal entry for each concept and cross-reference it.<ref name="mw">''Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Synonyms : Choose Words with Precision'', 1994, {{isbn|0877799067}} uses an asterisk</ref><ref>Henri Bertaud du Chazaud, ''Dictionnaire de synonyms et contraires'', Le Robert "Les Usuels", 1998, {{isbn|2850364568}}</ref><ref>Roger Boussinot, ''Dictionnaire des synonymes, analogies et antonymes'', Bordas 1981, {{isbn|2040120092}}</ref>

A third system interfiles words and conceptual headings. [[Francis March]]'s ''Thesaurus Dictionary'' gives for ''liability'': {{sc|Contingency, Credit–Debt, Duty–Dereliction, Liberty–Subjection, Money}}, each of which is a conceptual heading.<ref name="march">
Francis Andrew March, Francis A. March, Jr., ''March's Thesaurus and Dictionary of the English Language'' (issued under the editorial supervision of [[Norman Cousins]]), Doubleday, 1968, p. 598 [https://books.google.com/books?id=7QUxAQAAMAAJ full text, 1906 edition]</ref> The {{sc|Credit—Debt}} article has multiple subheadings, including Nouns of Agent, Verbs, Verbal Expressions, ''etc.'' Under each are listed synonyms with brief definitions, ''e.g.'' "'''Credit.''' Transference of property on promise of future payment." The conceptual headings are not organized into a taxonomy.

Benjamin Lafaye's ''Synonymes français'' (1841) is organized around [[morphology (linguistics)|morphologically]] related families of synonyms (''e.g.'' ''logis, logement''),<ref>Pierre Benjamin Lafaye, ''Synonymes français'', Paris 1841 [https://books.google.com/books?id=19cSAAAAYAAJ full text]</ref> and his ''Dictionnaire des synonymes de la langue française'' (1858) is mostly alphabetical, but also includes a section on morphologically related synonyms, which is organized by prefix, suffix, or construction.<ref name="lafaye"/>

===Contrasting senses===

Before Roget, most thesauri and dictionary synonym notes included discussions of the differences among near-synonyms, as do some modern ones.<ref name="oxford"/><ref name="oxfordamerican"/><ref name="websters"/><ref name="ah"/>

''Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Synonyms'' is a stand-alone modern English synonym dictionary that does discuss differences.<ref name="mw"/> In addition, many general English dictionaries include synonym notes.

Several modern synonym dictionaries in French are ''primarily'' devoted to discussing the precise demarcations among synonyms.<ref>Henri Bénac, ''Dictionnaire des synonymes'', Hachette 1956, {{isbn|2010112199}} (1982 edition)</ref><ref name="lafaye">B. Lafaye, ''Dictionnaire des synonymes de la langue française'', Hachette 1869, 3rd edition</ref>

===Additional elements===

Some include short definitions.<ref name="march"/>

Some give illustrative phrases.<ref name="oxford"/>

Some include lists of objects within the category ([[hyponym]]s), ''e.g.'' breeds of dogs.<ref name="oxford"/>