事 典(じてん)

じてん

noun

encyclopedia; subject dictionary

1. encyclopedia; subject dictionary; reference work on topics

A reference work that provides detailed explanations of topics, concepts, and things (as opposed to a word dictionary). Organized by subject matter rather than by individual words.

百科(ひゃっか)事典(じてん)で調(しら)べる。

To look it up in an encyclopedia.

日本(にほん)料理(りょうり)事典(じてん)を買(か)った。

I bought an encyclopedia of Japanese cuisine.

この事典(じてん)には世界(せかい)の動物(どうぶつ)が写真(しゃしん)つきで詳(くわ)しく紹介(しょうかい)されている。

This encyclopedia provides detailed introductions to animals of the world with photographs.

Distinguished from 辞典(じてん) (word dictionary) by dealing with topics and things (事(こと)) rather than words (辞(じ)). Both are read じてん, so to disambiguate, 事典(じてん) is sometimes called 「ことてん」 and 辞典(じてん) is called 「ことばてん」.

Common collocations

百科(ひゃっか)事典(じてん): encyclopedia
～事典(じてん): encyclopedia/dictionary of ~ (e.g., 料理(りょうり)事典(じてん), 音楽(おんがく)事典(じてん))
事典(じてん)を引(ひ)く: to look up in an encyclopedia

Similar words

辞典(じてん): dictionary — explains words and their meanings
辞書(じしょ): dictionary — the most common everyday word for dictionary
字典(じてん): character dictionary — explains individual kanji
図鑑(ずかん): illustrated reference book — emphasizes visual identification

Note on disambiguation

All three — 事典(じてん), 辞典(じてん), 字典(じてん) — are homophones (じてん). Context usually clarifies which is meant.

Related Words

Homophone: 辞典(じてん) (dictionary)

Compare: 辞書(じしょ) (dictionary)

Compare: 図鑑(ずかん) (illustrated reference book)

general

Added 2026.4.4 5:28 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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