HOW TO USE THE DICTIONARY
To look up an entry in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, use the search window above. For best results, after typing in the word, click on the “Search” button instead of using the “enter” key.
Some compound words (like bus rapid transit, dog whistle, or identity theft) don’t appear on the drop-down list when you type them in the search bar. For best results with compound words, place a quotation mark before the compound word in the search window.
THE USAGE PANEL
The Usage Panel is a group of nearly 200 prominent scholars, creative writers, journalists, diplomats, and others in occupations requiring mastery of language. Annual surveys have gauged the acceptability of particular usages and grammatical constructions.
AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY APP
The new American Heritage Dictionary app is now available for iOS and Android.
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY BLOG
The articles in our blog examine new words, revised definitions, interesting images from the fifth edition, discussions of usage, and more.
INTERESTED IN DICTIONARIES?
Check out the Dictionary Society of North America at http://www.dictionarysociety.com
n. 1. A feeling that one would like to have or do something or to see something happen; a desire, longing, or strong inclination for a specific thing. 2. a. An expression of a desire, longing, or strong inclination: carried out the wishes included in the will. b. An expression of desire for the happiness or success of another: sent me his best wishes. 3. Something desired or longed for: finally got his wish to see the ocean. v. wished, wish·ing, wish·es v.tr. 1. To long for; want. See Synonyms at desire. 2. To feel or express a desire for: I wish them good luck. He wished her good night. 3. To order, entreat, or request: I wish you to go. I wish it to be known that I disagree. 4. To desire (something bad) to happen to someone: I would not wish such an illness on anyone. v.intr. 1. To have or feel a desire: wish for a successful outcome. 2. To express a wish. [Middle English wissh, from wisshen, to wish, from Old English wȳscan; see wen-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] wisher n. Usage Note: Wish is widely used as a polite substitute for want with infinitives: Do you wish to sit at a table on the terrace? Anyone who wishes to may leave now. This usage is appropriate for formal style, where it is natural to treat the desires of others with exaggerated deference. The corresponding use of wish with a noun-phrase object is less frequent: Anyone who wishes an aisle seat should see an attendant. Both usages are likely to sound stilted in informal style, however, and want may be substituted for wish. · A traditional rule requires the use of were rather than was in a contrary-to-fact statement that follows wish: I wish I were (not was) lighter on my feet. While many people continue to insist on upholding this rule, the indicative was in such clauses can be found in the works of many well-known writers. See Usage Note at if. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
