noun

die Bibliothek, -en

library

Ein Ort, an dem viele Bücher und andere Medien gesammelt, ausgeliehen und gelesen werden können.

Definition & meaning

Bibliothek means library: a place or institution where books and other information resources are collected, organized, preserved, and made available for reading or borrowing.

It can also mean:

A library as a collection
Die Bibliothek enthält seltene Bücher. — “The library contains rare books.”
A room or building containing books
Er arbeitet in der Bibliothek. — “He works in the library.”
A software library in computing: a collection of reusable programs, functions, or code modules.

Grammar & word origin

Gender: feminine
Article: die Bibliothek
Plural: die Bibliotheken
Pronunciation: approximately bee-blee-oh-TAKE

The word comes from Ancient Greek bibliothḗkē, meaning “place for books.” It is composed of biblíon (“book”) and thḗkē (“storage place” or “container”).

Synonyms & antonyms

Bücherei — a common, slightly more everyday synonym for a library, especially a public or local one. Bibliothek can sound somewhat more formal or institutional.
Mediathek — a collection or institution containing various media, such as videos, audio recordings, and digital materials, not only books.
Sammlung — “collection”; a broader term that may refer to books but does not necessarily imply a public library or organized institution.

There is no direct general antonym for Bibliothek, since it names a place or collection rather than a quality or action.