A thesaurus in computer refers to a software tool included with some word processors that provides synonyms for selected words on command. It can also refer to a book, program, or online service that provides alternative or similar words to a word. The thesaurus is used in Microsoft Word or other word processors to search for synonyms and synonyms for a particular selected word. It is used while writing an email, letter, or paper to find an alternative meaning for words. The thesaurus can be used to avoid repetition of the same word throughout a document, which can become repetitive to a reader. To use the thesaurus in Microsoft Word, one can highlight the word they want to look up and press the keyboard shortcut Shift+F7. Alternatively, one can use the Review tab on the Ribbon. The thesaurus is also available in other Microsoft Office applications such as Excel and Publisher.