Larousse Dictionary

The best monolingual dictionary I've ever run across is the Larousse dictionary. I have used this dictionary in practically all of my translation work and have found it very useful.

The best thing about the Larousse is that it contains both a dictionary and an encyclopedia. I love the encyclopedia. You can find a ton of information in it about all sorts of things and read about them in Spanish, which will help you to improve your language skills and Spanish translation ability.

The Larousse dictionary is published annually. The current edition always contains updated entries focusing on current events, which is what makes the dictionary/encyclopedia so great.

Some information about the dictionary:

• Almost 2,000 pages (It's pretty thick.)
• 90,000 entries with 200,000 definitions
• More than 5,000 full-color photographs, maps, tables, and drawings
• Covers a wide range of subjects, including the arts, architecture, nature, sports, history, science, and technology
• Contains a color atlas of Latin American countries
• Includes a section of well-known proverbs and famous sayings

However, there's no need to go out and buy a new edition every year. You should be able to get by on just one edition for a couple of years. Having one is a good investment for your Spanish translation library, though.