# glossaries v5.1 (2026-04-21)

Author: Nicola Talbot ([contact](http://www.dickimaw-books.com/contact))

## LICENCE

This material is subject to the LaTeX Project Public License. 
See http://www.ctan.org/license/lppl1.3 
for the details of that license.

Copyright 2007-2026 Nicola Talbot

## DESCRIPTION

This package is provided to assist generating glossaries.
The package supports abbreviations and multiple glossaries.
New entries are defined to have a name and description (and
optionally an associated symbol). Plural forms can also be
specified.  New glossary styles can be defined, and preambles
and postambles can be specified. There is provision for loading
a database of terms where only terms used in the text will be added
to the relevant glossary.

### Included supplementary files:

 - glossaries-prefix.sty: allows for the inclusion of a prefix (such
   as a determiner) before terms.

 - glossaries-accsupp.sty: an experimental package that uses the
   [accsupp](https://ctan.org/pkg/accsupp) package to 
   provide accessibility support for the glossaries package.

 - glossary style packages (such as glossary-list.sty and
   glossary-index.sty). Note that the list styles may be incompatible with 
   classes or packages that redefine the `description` environment.

 - a set of files containing lorem ipsum dummy entries for testing
   and debugging.

### Excluded supplementary packages (separate installation required):

  - language support packages, 
    e.g. [glossaries-english.sty](https://ctan.org/pkg/glossaries-english).

  - [glossaries-extra.sty](https://ctan.org/pkg/glossaries-extra) extends 
    glossaries.sty, providing more options and better abbreviation handling.

  - [bib2gls](https://ctan.org/pkg/bib2gls) alternative indexing
    application designed specifically for use with glossaries-extra.sty

## RELATED MATERIAL

 - [Package FAQ](http://www.dickimaw-books.com/faqs/glossariesfaq.html)

 - [Bug tracker](https://www.dickimaw-books.com/bugtracker.php?category=glossaries)

 - [Gallery](https://www.dickimaw-books.com/gallery/#glossaries)

 - [Document Build Advice](https://www.dickimaw-books.com/latex/buildglossaries/)

To test your installation, compile `minimalgls.tex` which is provided
with the sample files:

```bash
pdflatex minimalgls
makeglossaries minimalgls
pdflatex minimalgls
```
or (if you don't have Perl installed):

```bash
pdflatex minimalgls
makeglossaries-lite minimalgls
pdflatex minimalgls
```

## DEPENDENCIES

 - amsgen
 - datatool-base
 - etoolbox
 - ifthen
 - mfirstuc
 - tracklang
 - xfor
 - xkeyval

If you want to use glossaries-accsupp.sty you will also need the accsupp package.

Some of the glossary styles require additional packages, which are
automatically loaded by the corresponding `glossary-`*name*`.sty`
package.

 - The `long` styles require longtable.sty.

 - The `super` styles require supertabular.sty.

 - The `ragged` styles required array.sty.

 - The `mcols` styles require multicol.sty.

 - The `booktab` styles require booktabs.sty.

If you want to use the `sm` acronym styles you will also need
relsizes.sty. This needs to be explicitly loaded in your document if
required.

If you want to use `\oldacronym` with `\xspace` you will also need
xspace.sty. This needs to be explicitly loaded in your document if
required. (Not recommended.)

**This package replaces the glossary package which is now obsolete (2006).**
