The fifth edition of China's first and most widely-used dictionary, the Modern Chinese Dictionary, was published on Tuesday.

The dictionary was revised in 1983 and 1996 into two editions and an appended edition in 2002. The last revision started in 1999, said Chao Jizhou, researcher with the linguistic institute of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The dictionary, with a red cover and white title, includes more than 65,000 characters, words, phrases and idioms. It adds more than 6,000 new words and deletes more than 2,000 old-fashioned words and explanations, he said.

In addition, the dictionary classifies words into 12 categories, examines each explanations and example sentences and makes necessary revisions to some items.

The new dictionary is closer to and reflective of modern life while at the same time concisely explaining the meanings and usages of Chinese words, said experts.

First published in 1978, the Modern Chinese Dictionary has been published more than 330 times and has had a circulation of more than 40 million.

(Xinhua News Agency July 27, 2005)