catalog

or cat·a·logue

[ kat-l-awg, -og ]

noun

1. a list or record, as of items for sale or courses at a university, systematically arranged and often including descriptive material:

   a stamp catalog.

   Synonyms: record, register, roster

2. something that contains such a list or record, as a book, leaflet, or file.
3. a list of the contents of a library or a group of libraries, arranged according to any of various systems. Compare card catalog, online catalog, union catalog.

   Synonyms: record, register, roster

4. any list or record:

   a catalog of complaints.

verb (used with object)

, cat·a·loged or cat·a·logued, cat·a·log·ing or cat·a·logu·ing.

1. to enter (items) in a catalog; make a catalog of.

verb (used without object)

, cat·a·loged or cat·a·logued, cat·a·log·ing or cat·a·logu·ing.

1. to produce a catalog.
2. to have a specified price as listed in a catalog:

   This model catalogs for $49.95.

3. to offer merchandise in a mail-order catalog.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or carrying on business through a mail-order catalog:

   catalog sales.

Other Words From

• cata·loger cata·loguer cata·logist cata·loguist noun
• cat·a·log·ic [kat-l-, oj, -ik], cata·logi·cal cat·a·lo·gis·tic [kat-l-oh-, jis, -tik], adjective
• mis·cata·log mis·cata·logue verb (used with object) miscataloged or miscatalogued miscataloging or miscataloguing
• non·cata·log non·cata·logue adjective
• re·cata·log verb (used with object) recataloged or recataogued recataloging or recataloguing

Word History and Origins

Origin of catalog¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English cataloge, from Late Latin catalogus, from Greek katálogos “a register” (akin to katalégein “to count up”), equivalent to kata- “down, against, back” + -logos reckoning; cata-

Synonym Study

See list ¹.

Example Sentences

At the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, in rooms the public aren’t allowed to wander, preparators carefully clean, weigh and catalog each fossil.

From Los Angeles Times

Haddock said the discovery highlights the importance of deep-sea exploration and the significance of using new technology to catalog previously unknown creatures.

From Los Angeles Times

The costumes of Naomi Yoshida deserve their own glossy catalog, so vibrant are the colors and so expressive the silhouettes.

From Los Angeles Times

Since then, Gutierrez, a satellite systems engineer, has made it his mission to catalog every stairway in the Greater Los Angeles area, including those near his home in Long Beach.

From Los Angeles Times

Well, to that point: You’re not worried that the sale of Pink Floyd’s catalog might lead to other instances where the music is presented in a way you don’t like?

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• book
• catalogue
• file
• inventory
• list
• prospectus

More About Catalog

What does catalog mean?

A catalog is a list or record of items. It is sometimes spelled catalogue.

It commonly refers to a list of things being offered, such as items for sale or courses at a school. The point of such a catalog is typically to arrange the information in an orderly way—often with descriptions—so that the items can be easily found.

The word often refers to a printed copy of the list, especially in the context of items available for purchase from a particular company.

Catalog can also be used to refer to a collection of works, such as by a particular artist, as in I love every album in her catalog.

A card catalog is a file containing information about the books and other materials held in a library. Card catalogs were once commonly physical cabinets of drawers containing cards but now often exist as online catalogs.

Sometimes, catalog is used in a very general way as another way of saying list, as in a catalog of complaints.

Catalog can also be used as a verb meaning to record items with a list, as in Please catalog all of the new titles.

Example: The course catalog lists all of the classes that are available to take.

Where does catalog come from?

The first records of the word catalog come from the 1400s. It comes from the Greek katálogos, meaning “a register,” from the verb katalégein, meaning “to list” or “to count up.”

Register can be used as a synonym of catalog, as can inventory and index. Perhaps the most general synonym of catalog is list. The kind of catalog that you can order products from and comes in the form of a printed booklet is still somewhat common, despite the popularity of online shopping.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to catalog?

• catalogue (alternate spelling)
• cataloger (noun)
• miscatalog (verb)
• recatalog (verb)

What are some synonyms for catalog?

• list
• file
• index
• inventory
• register
• record

What are some words that share a root or word element with catalog? 

• card catalog
• online catalog
• logos

What are some words that often get used in discussing catalog?

• order
• mail order
• course
• holiday
• monthly
• purchase

How is catalog used in real life?

Catalog is perhaps most popularly used to refer to the booklets that people browse through to order products, but it’s also commonly used in more general ways to refer to other lists of items, such as books and college courses.

Just in time for New Year‘s Resolutions, JHU Odyssey put out their Spring Course Catalog! These classes are open to anyone, anywhere (silver lining of having to go online). I’m teaching a four session workshop on novel/memoir first pages in April. https://t.co/a0oN6WvjZC

— Tracy C. Gold (@tracycgold) January 1, 2021

Finally got around to cataloging the 18 decks of playing cards I received throughout the Christmas season. The total, according to my Airtable database, is 498 decks in my collection.

— Mr . " BIG SHOT " WILDWEASEL (@CorwinB87) January 3, 2021

The first Cars album is literally perfect; there might not be a better debut ever. The rest of the catalog is untouchable.

Ric Ocasek was the architect. Nobody could combine pop hits with straight up weirdness like he could.

What a body of work, what a cool guy. Rest in power.

— scharpling (@scharpling) September 16, 2019

Try using catalog!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of catalog?

A. list
B. record
C. inventory
D. purchase