Content retrieving device and retrieving method

A content retrieving device comprising:

• a content storing unit in which are stored a plurality of contents that are associated with one or more character strings;
• a thesaurus storing unit in which is stored a thesaurus that includes vertical relationship information expressing vertical relationships between character strings that are determined on the basis of meanings of the character strings;
• an inputting unit by which a character string is inputted;
• an extracting unit extracting an associated character string that is associated with an inputted character string inputted by the inputting unit, by using the thesaurus stored by the thesaurus storing unit and on the basis of association degree information that expresses association degrees between character strings included in the thesaurus by numerical values determined in accordance with the vertical relationship information expressing vertical relationships between the character strings;
• and
• a retrieving unit retrieving, from contents that are stored by the content storing unit, contents associated with the associated character string extracted by the extracting unit and the inputted character string.