Glossary Formatting
A glossary is useful when a document contains enough specialist or unfamiliar terms to justify a reference section. Keep definitions clear, order entries alphabetically and separate the glossary’s job from a simple list of abbreviations.
Use a glossary for a substantial set of specialist or unfamiliar terms, arrange entries alphabetically, and format them for quick lookup.
Key details
Important caveats
Boundary
Do not automatically merge a short list of abbreviations into the glossary when the governing report style treats shortened forms as a separate front-matter list.
Further guidance
Organization
List glossary terms alphabetically and format term-definition pairs consistently so readers can scan and locate entries.
When Useful
Use a glossary when readers need repeated access to specialist or unfamiliar terms; explain a small number of terms in the main text instead of creating unnecessary back matter.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Reports — Australian Government Style Manual (opens in a new tab)Australian Government Style Manual · Report front matter, lists of shortened forms, glossary placement and alphabetical organization
- Acronyms and initialisms — Australian Government Style Manual (opens in a new tab)Australian Government Style Manual · Accessibility and glossary guidance for acronyms and initialisms