General dictionaries , also called general - purpose dictionaries , are more commonly seen and used . They are complled for everyone and everyday use. They usually contain for more word entries and are a lot thicker.
Special dictionaries are compiled for professionals and researchers in specific fields such as linguistics , literature, law, and medical science. They contain technical terms pertaining to specific fields or one sector of the vocabulary in a language, and usually provide the meanings and contents of the terms.
