1. List, label, or arrange material so its contents can be found efficiently.
2. Adjust a payment or other quantity according to changes in a chosen reference measure.
3. A number or combined measure used to track a condition or compare changes.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- index documents
- index a collection
On the page
The archivists indexed each interview by date and subject.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- index
- Past tense
- indexed
- Past participle
- indexed
- Present participle
- indexing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- index
- Present continuous
- am/is/are indexing
- Present perfect
- have/has indexed
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been indexing
- Past
- indexed
- Past continuous
- was/were indexing
- Past perfect
- had indexed
- Past perfect continuous
- had been indexing
- Future
- will index
- Future continuous
- will be indexing
- Future perfect
- will have indexed
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been indexing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: index; indexes; indexed; indexed; indexing. Noun singular index; plural indexes or indices by context.. Noun singular index; plural indexes. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: analysis, explanation, evaluation. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: indexes.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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