Bibliography: Definition, Examples & How to Write One

Meaning 1：list of sources (bibliography)

bibliography 🔊

/ˌbɪbliˈɒɡrəfi/

a complete list of all the books, articles, and other sources you mentioned or used when writing your paper.

Bibliography example on a laptop screen with books, showing a formatted source list for academic writing.

list of sources 🔊

➕

/lɪst əv ˈsɔːsɪz/

A bibliography is a comprehensive list of all sources, such as books and articles, referenced or used in academic writing.

📁 Category：School Education 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Greek 'biblion' (book) + 'graphia' (writing), meaning 'book-writing'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'BIBLI' as in library (books) and 'GRAPHY' as in biography, so a list of books written about.

📖 Example

The teacher reminded us to double-check our bibliography before submitting the final paper. 🔊 The teacher advised us to thoroughly review our list of sources before handing in the paper.

🔗 Collocations

compile a bibliography – to assemble a complete list of sources

annotated bibliography – a bibliography with brief summaries of each source

bibliography entry – an individual item listed in a bibliography

🔄 Synonyms

reference list (n.) – a list of sources cited in a document

works cited (n.) – a list of sources directly referenced in the text

catalog (n.) – a systematic list of items, often books or resources

🌱 Derivatives

bibliographer (n.) – a person who compiles bibliographies

bibliographic (adj.) – relating to bibliographies or the study of books

bibliographical (adj.) – an alternative form meaning related to bibliographies

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Greek 'biblion' (book) and 'graphia' (writing). In modern academia, it is essential for citing sources and avoiding plagiarism in research.