how to cite online dictionary in essay

Citing the Dictionary and Other Online Sources

A citation of any online dictionary or thesaurus should include the following information:

• headword of the entry cited (in quotes)
• title of the source (in italics)
• date the dictionary or thesaurus was published, posted, or revised (Use the copyright date noted at the bottom of this and every page of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.)
• full URL of the site (up to and including the file name)
• date you accessed the dictionary (in parentheses)

Here are three ways you might cite the entry for hacker in the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, if you accessed it on May 8, 2011.

"hacker." Merriam-Webster.com . 2011. https://www.merriam-webster.com (8 May 2011). MLA Style: "hacker." Merriam-Webster.com . Merriam-Webster, 2011. Web. 8 May 2011. APA Style: hacker. 2011. In Merriam-Webster.com . Retrieved May 8, 2011, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hacker

Citing Other Online Sources

There is no universally accepted standard for citing online sources, but it is generally adequate to indicate the document's Web address, or URL (uniform resource locator), somewhere in the citation, usually following the date on which the electronic document was published, posted, or last revised (if known).

Thus a typical citation of an online source would show the author's name, the title of the document, the title of the complete work (such as the name of a periodical) in italics, the date, and the full URL. A URL is composed of the protocol used (such as http for Web pages; other less common protocols include gopher , ftp , and telnet ), the server's identification, the directory path, and the file's name.

Here are a five sample citations of online sources:

Agmon, Eytan. "Beethoven's Op. 81a and the Psychology of Loss." Music Theory Online 2, 4 (1996). http://boethius.music.ucsb.edu/mto/ issues/mto.96.2.4/mto.2.4.agmon.html Davies, Al. 1997. Mitral Valvular Prolapse Syndrome. Medical Reporter 2, 11 (Feb.). http://www.dash.com/netro/nwx/tmr/tmr0297/valvular0297.html Thursby, Ray. "Hopping into hybrids." Salon.com . Aug. 2000. http://www.salon.com/business/feature/2000/08/15/hybrid/index.html

In many cases it is necessary or desirable to include the date of access as well. Note that the date of access will often be the only date shown, since many online documents do not include dates.

Walker, John. "Resources for Learning French." http://www.fourmilab.ch/francais/1french.html (12 Aug. 2007).

Periodicals published on paper that happen to be accessed online may be cited just like normal periodicals, with no acknowledgment of their online status, if it is clear that the text has not been altered for the online version.

References to mailing lists or newsgroup postings should begin with the author's name, include the subject line (or a made-up descriptive subject line), and provide the name and electronic address of the mailing-list server or newsgroup and the date posted. A personal e-mail message can be called "Personal communication" with no mention of its electronic medium.

Marchand, Jim. "L'humour de Berceo." (1 Oct. 1997). Medieval Texts Discussion List. [email protected] Massey, Neil. "Year 2000 and Sendmail 8.86." (1 Oct. 1997). comp.mail.sendmail

Many mailing-list discussions are archived after messages are posted. Archives are usually maintained on the mailing list's server and may also be available through a Web page. An archived message is cited in its original form unless the message was accessed through a Web server rather than the list server or newsgroup.

McCarty, Willard. "The Fate of Universities." 13 June 1997. Humanist Discussion Group. http://www.iath.virginia.edu/lists_archive/ Humanist/v11/0097.html

Note: Since many online sources are highly subject to change or deletion, any online text likely to be cited — including personal e-mail messages — should always be either downloaded onto a disk or printed out and stored on paper (with a notation of the date accessed) as a permanent record.

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Dictionary Entry References

This page contains reference examples for dictionary entries, including the following:

• Entry in an online dictionary
• Entry in a print dictionary

1. Entry in an online dictionary

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Just-world hypothesis. In APA dictionary of psychology . Retrieved January 18, 2020, from https://dictionary.apa.org/just-world-hypothesis

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Semantics. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary . Retrieved January 4, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semantics

• Parenthetical citations : (American Psychological Association, n.d.; Merriam-Webster, n.d.)
• Narrative citations : American Psychological Association (n.d.) and Merriam-Webster (n.d.)
• Because entries in the APA Dictionary of Psychology and Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary are updated over time and are not archived, include a retrieval date in the reference.
• The author and publisher are the same for the dictionaries in the examples, so the name appears in the author element only to avoid repetition.
• Semantics refers to the “study of meanings” (Merriam-Webster, n.d., Definition 1).

2. Entry in a print dictionary

American Psychological Association. (2015). Mood induction. In APA dictionary of psychology (2nd ed., p. 667).

Merriam-Webster. (2003). Litmus test. In Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary (11th ed., p. 727).

• Parenthetical citations : (American Psychological Association, 2015; Merriam-Webster, 2003)
• Narrative citations : American Psychological Association (2015) and Merriam-Webster (2003)
• Provide any edition information about the dictionary in parentheses without italics after the dictionary title.
• Provide the page number for the entry in parentheses after the title of the dictionary. When both an edition and page number are present, place them in the same set of parentheses, separated with a comma.

Dictionary entry references are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Section 10.3 and the Concise Guide Section 10.3

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Reference List: Electronic Sources

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Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Note:  This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), which released in October 2019. The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style  can be found here .

Important Note: Some electronic citations necessitate the use of brackets. APA style dictates that brackets should directly surround their content without spaces (e.g., [bracketed content] should look like this). When possible, include the year, month, and date in references. If the month and date are not available, use the year of publication. Additionally, APA 7 th  edition no longer requires the use of “Retrieved from” before URLs or DOIs; special exceptions, however, are made for resources that are unarchived. Including the retrieval date for these sources indicates to readers that the version of the work they retrieve may be different than what was originally used. 

Please note: the following contains a list of the most commonly cited electronic sources. For a complete list of how to cite electronic sources, please refer to the 7 th edition of the APA Publication Manual.

Webpage or Piece of Online Content

If the page names an individual author, cite their name first:

Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Date). Title of page . Site name. URL

Price, D. (2018, March 23). Laziness does not exist . Medium. https://humanparts.medium.com/laziness-does-not-exist-3af27e312d01

If the resource was written by a group or organization, use the name of the group/organization as the author. Additionally, if the author and site name are the same, omit the site name from the citation.

Group name. (Year, Month Date). Title of page . Site name. URL

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. (2019, November 21). Justice served: Case closed for over 40 dogfighting victims . https://www.aspca.org/news/justice-served-case-closed-over-40-dogfighting-victims

If the page's author is not listed, start with the title instead. Additionally, include a retrieval date when the page's content is likely to change over time (like, for instance, if you're citing a wiki that is publicly edited).

Title of page . (Year, Month Date). Site name. Retrieved Month Date, Year, from URL

Tuscan white bean pasta.  (2018, February 25). Budgetbytes. Retrieved March 18, 2020, from  https://www.budgetbytes.com/tuscan-white-bean-pasta/

If the date of publication is not listed, use the abbreviation (n.d.). 

Author or Group name. (n.d.).  Title of page . Site name (if applicable). URL

National Alliance on Mental Illness. (n.d.). Mental health conditions . https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions

Wikipedia Article

APA 7 treats Wikipedia articles as special instances of entries in reference works. Thus, there are a few differences between reference entries for pages on Wikipedia and those for generic webpages.

Title of article. (Year, Month Date). In  Wikipedia.  URL of archived version of page

Quantum mechanics. (2019, November 19). In Wikipedia . https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Quantum_mechanics&oldid=948476810

Wikipedia articles often update frequently. For this reason, the date refers to the date that the cited version of the page was published. Note also that the manual recommends linking to the archived version of the page, rather than the current version of the page on the site, since the latter can change over time. Access the archived version by clicking "View History," then clicking the date/timestamp of the version you'd like to cite.

Online Scholarly Journal Article: Citing DOIs

Please note: Because online materials can potentially change URLs, APA recommends providing a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), when it is available, as opposed to the URL. DOIs are an attempt to provide stable, long-lasting links for online articles. They are unique to their documents and consist of a long alphanumeric code. Many—but not all—publishers will provide an article's DOI on the first page of the document.

Note also that some online bibliographies provide an article's DOI but may "hide" the code under a button which may read "Article" or may be an abbreviation of a vendor's name like "CrossRef" or "PubMed." This button will usually lead the user to the full article which will include the DOI. Find DOIs from print publications or ones that go to dead links with doi.org's "Resolve a DOI" function, available on the site's home page .

APA 7 also advises writers to include a DOI (if available), even when using the print source.

Article from an Online Periodical with DOI Assigned

Lastname, F. M., & Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Vol.( Issue), page numbers. DOI

Drollinger, T., Comer, L. B., & Warrington, P. T. (2006). Development and validation of the active empathetic listening scale. Psychology & Marketing, 23 (2), 161-180. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20105

Article from an Online Periodical with no DOI Assigned

If an online scholarly journal article has no DOI and is published on a website, include the URL. If an online scholarly article has no DOI and is published on a database, do not include a URL or any database information. The only exception is for databases that publish articles that are in limited circulation (like ERIC) or that are only available on that particular database (like UpToDate). Note that retrieval dates are required for unarchived sources that are likely, or intended, to change over time. 

Perreault, L. (2019). Obesity in adults: Role of physical activity and exercise. UpToDate . Retrieved January 12, 2020, from https://www.uptodate.com/contents/obesity-in-adults-role-of-physical-activity-and-exercise

APA 7 th edition does not provide guidance on how to cite abstracts. However, if you only use information from the abstract but the full text of the article is also available, we advise you to add "[Abstract]" after the article or source name. If the full text is not available, you may use an abstract that is available through an abstracts database as a secondary source.

Online News Article

Note:  The format for this type of source depends on whether your source comes from a site with an associated newspaper.

If the source  does  come from a site with an associated newspaper, leave the title of the article unformatted, but italicize the title of the newspaper.

Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Date). Title of article. Title of Publication . URL

Richards, C. (2019, December 9). Best music of 2019: Lana Del Rey sings lullabies about the end of America. Washington Post . https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/best-music-of-2019-lana-del-rey-sings-lullabies-about-the-end-of-america/2019/12/06/6e82c5ec-15d8-11ea-a659-7d69641c6ff7_story.html

On the other hand, if the source  doesn't  come from a site with an associated newspaper, italicize the title of the article, but leave the name of the site unformatted.

Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Date). Title of article . Name of publishing website. URL

Jones, J. (2020, May 10). Why flats dominate Spain's housing market . BBC. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200506-why-do-flats-dominate-spains-housing-market

Electronic or Kindle Books

It is not necessary to note that you have used an eBook or audiobook when the content is the same as a physical book. However, you should distinguish between the eBook or audiobook and the print version if the content is different or abridged, or if you would like to cite the narrator of an audiobook.

Lastname, F. M. (Year).  Title of book . Publisher. URL

Lastname, F. M. (Year).  Title of book [eBook edition]. Publisher. URL

Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of book (N. Narrator, Narr.) [Audiobook]. Publisher. URL (if applicable)

Dissertation/Thesis from a Database

Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of dissertation or thesis (Publication No.) [Doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis, Name of Institution Awarding Degree]. Database Name.

Duis, J. M. (2008). Acid/base chemistry and related organic chemistry conceptions of undergraduate organic chemistry students  (Publication No. 3348786) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Northern Colorado]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

Entry in an Online Dictionary, Thesaurus, or Encyclopedia with a Group Author

Note:  An online dictionary, thesaurus, or encyclopedia may be continuously updated and therefore not include a publication date (like in the example below). If that’s the case, use “n.d.” for the date and include the retrieval date in the citation.

Institution or organization name. (Year). Title of entry. In Title of reference work . URL

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Braggadocio. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary . Retrieved January 13, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/braggadocio

Entry in an Online Dictionary, Thesaurus, or Encyclopedia with an Individual Author

Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of entry. In F. M. Lastname (Ed.), Title of reference work (edition). Publisher. URL or DOI

Martin, M. (2018). Animals. In L. A. Schintler & C. L. McNeely (Eds.), Encyclopedia of big data . SpringerLink. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32001-4_7-1

Note: If the dictionary, thesaurus, or encyclopedia does not include an edition, simply skip that step.

Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group (Year). Title of dataset (Version No.) [Data set]. Publisher. DOI or URL

Grantmakers in the Arts. (2019). Arts funding trends, United States, 1994-present (ICPSR 37337) [Data set]. National Archive of Data on Arts & Culture. https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/NADAC/studies/37337

Graphic Data (e.g. Interactive Maps, Infographics, and Other Graphic Representations of Data)

Give the name of the organization or individual followed by the date and the title. If there is no title, in brackets, you should provide a brief explanation of what type of data is there and in what form it appears. Include the URL and the retrieval date if there is no publication date.

HatchMed. (2017). 8 ways to improve patient satisfaction [Infographic]. HatchMed.com. https://www.hatchmed.com/blog/2017/1/30/8-ways-to-improve-patient-satisfaction

Google. (n.d.). [Google Map of Purdue University]. Retrieved January 12, 2020, from https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4237095,-86.9233886,17z

Qualitative Data and Online Interviews

If an interview is not retrievable in audio or print form, cite the interview only in the text (not in the reference list) and provide the month, day, and year in the text. If the interview transcript is published in an online periodical, like a magazine, cite the interview the same way you would cite the medium where it is published, as shown below:

Schulman, M. (2019, December 8). Peter Dinklage is still punk rock. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/peter-dinklage-is-still-punk-rock

If it is an audio file or transcript published in a database, credit the interviewee as the author and use the following model:

Paynter, W. (1970, September 17). Interview with Will Paynter [Interview]. Studs Terkel Radio Archive; The Chicago History Museum. https://studsterkel.wfmt.com/programs/interview-will-paynter

Online Lecture Notes and Presentation Slides

When citing online lecture notes, be sure to provide the file format in brackets after the lecture title (e.g. PowerPoint slides, Word document).

Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Date). Title of presentation [Lecture notes, PowerPoint slides, etc]. Publisher. URL

Smith, C. (2017, October 13). AI and machine learning demystified [PowerPoint slides]. SlideShare. https://www.slideshare.net/carologic/ai-and-machine-learning-demystified-by-carol-smith-at-midwest-ux-2017

Computer Software/Downloaded Software

Do not cite standard office software (e.g. Word, Excel) or programming languages. Provide references only for specialized software.

Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group. (Year). Title of software (Version No.). Publisher. URL

Maplesoft. (2019). Maple companion (Version 2.1.0). Cybernet Systems Co. https://www.maplesoft.com/products/MapleCompanion/

E-mails are not included in the list of references, though you should parenthetically cite them in your main text:

(E. Robbins, personal communication, January 4, 2001).

Online Forum or Discussion Posting

Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group [username]. (Year, Month Date). Title of post [Online forum post]. Publisher. URL

Stine, R. L. [RL__Stine]. (2013, October 23). I’m R.L. Stine and it’s my job to terrify kids. Ask me anything! [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1p32dl/

Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group [@username]. (Year, Month Date). Content of the post up to the first 20 words [Tweet]. Site Name. URL

Note : If the tweet includes images, videos, or links to other sources, indicate that information in brackets after the content description. Also attempt to replicate emojis if possible.

National Geographic [@NatGeo]. (2020, January 12). Scientists knew African grays are clever, but now they’ve been documented assisting other members of their species—even strangers [Tweet; thumbnail link to article]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/NatGeo/status/1216346352063537154

Twitter Profile

Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group [@username]. (n.d.). Tweets [Twitter profile]. Retrieved Month Date, Year, from URL

MLA Style [@mlastyle]. (n.d.). Tweets [Twitter profile]. Retrieved January 12, 2020, from https://twitter.com/mlastyle

Facebook Post

Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group. (Year, Month Date). Content of the post up to the first 20 words [Type of post]. Site Name. URL

Note: If the Facebook post includes images, videos, or links to other sources, indicate that information in brackets after the content description. Also attempt to replicate emojis if possible.

U.S. Department of the Interior. (2020, January 10). Like frosting on a cake, snow coats and clings to the hoodoos at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah [Image attached] [Status update]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/USInterior/photos/a.155163054537384/2586475451406120/?type=3&theater

Facebook Page

Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group. (n.d.). Home [Facebook page]. Site name. Retrieved Month Date, Year, from URL

Little River Canyon National Preserve (n.d.). Home [Facebook page]. Facebook. Retrieved January 12, 2020 from https://www.facebook.com/lirinps/

Instagram Photo or Video

Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group [@username]. (Year, Month Date). Content of the post up to the first 20 words [Type of post]. Site Name. URL

BBC [@bbc]. (2020, January 12). Skywatchers have been treated to the first full moon of 2020-known as a “wolf moon”-at the same time as a [Photograph]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/B7OkWqbBwcf/

Blog Post  

Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Date). Title of post. Publisher . URL

Axelrod, A. (2019, August 11). A century later: The Treaty of Versailles and its rejection of racial equality. Code Switch, NPR . https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2019/08/11/742293305/a-century-later-the-treaty-of-versailles-and-its-rejection-of-racial-equality

YouTube or other Streaming Video

Last Name, F. M. [Username]. (Year, Month Date). Title of video [Video]. Streaming Service. URL

Lushi, K. [Korab Lushi]. (2016, July 3). Albatross culture 1 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AMrJRQDPjk&t=148s

Note : The person or group who uploaded the video is considered the author. If the author’s name is the same as the username, you can omit the [Username].

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Date). Title of talk [Video]. TED. URL

Al-Mutawa, N. (2010, July). Superheroes inspired by Islam [Video]. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/naif_al_mutawa_superheroes_inspired_by_islam#t-4909

Or (if on YouTube)

Username. (Year, Month Date). Title of talk [Video]. YouTube. URL

Tedx Talks. (2011, Nov. 15). TEDxHampshireCollege - Jay Smooth - How I learned to stop worrying and love discussing race [Video]. YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbdxeFcQtaU

Podcast Episode

Host, A. A. (Host). (Year, Month Date). Title of episode (No. if provided) [Audio podcast episode]. In Name of podcast . Publisher. URL

Prime, K. (Host). (2019, March 29). For whom the cowbell tolls [Audio podcast episode]. In Radiolab . WNYC Studios. https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/whom-cowbell-tolls

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• Writing Tips

How to Cite a Dictionary Entry in APA Referencing

3-minute read

• 5th February 2021

Dictionaries are a useful source in academic writing. But how do you cite a dictionary entry in APA referencing (7th edition) ? In this post, we explain how to format in-text citations and reference entries for both online and print dictionaries.

How to Cite an Online Dictionary in APA Style

APA referencing is an author–date citation system. However, dictionaries don’t have an author in the same way that most books do. And online dictionaries are constantly updated, so they won’t usually have a year of publication to cite.

As such, when citing an online dictionary in APA style, you should:

• Cite the publishing organization in place of an individual author (e.g., Merriam-Webster, Oxford University Press).
• Use the abbreviation “n.d.” (meaning “no date”) in place of the date.

In practice, then, citations for an online dictionary might look like this:

“Chic” is defined as elegant, stylish, and fashionable (Lexico, n.d.).

Lexico (n.d.) defines “chic” as “elegantly and stylishly fashionable” (Definition 1).

Note that, since online dictionaries don’t have page numbers, we include a definition number when we quote the definition’s exact words.

You will then provide the full reference in the reference list at the end of your work. The basic format for an online dictionary reference is:

Organizational Author. (Year). Term or phrase. In Title of dictionary . Retrieved date, from URL

In practice, then, the reference for our in-text citation above would be as follows:

Lexico. (n.d.). Chic. In Lexico.com dictionary . Retrieved January 4, 2021, from https://www.lexico.com/definition/chic

Finally, don’t forget to use a hanging indent for each line after the first.

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How to Cite a Print Dictionary in APA Style

If you are using a print dictionary, the rules in APA style differ slightly.

In citations, for example, you should give the date of publication for the edition used. And if you are quoting a definition, make sure to include a page number:

In this context, we are using the definition of a “citation” as a “reference to a scholarly work” (Oxford University Press, 1991, p. 201).

And the basic format for a print dictionary in APA style is:

Organizational Author. (year of publication). Term or phrase. In Title of dictionary (edition, page number for definition).

For instance, an APA-style reference for a print dictionary might look like this:

Oxford University Press. (1991). Citation. In The Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2nd ed., p. 201).

If the entry includes several definitions for the same term, you may want to include a definition number as well (as shown above for online dictionaries).

Expert APA Proofreading Services

Hopefully, this post helps you reference books in APA style. If you’d like to learn how to cite 50+ other source types in APA style, as well as frequently asked questions relating to APA, check out our free online APA guide . Alternatively, if you’d like an APA expert to check your work, discover our APA proofreading services .

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How to cite a dictionary.

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When first starting to write academic papers, students often find themselves surrounded by a sea of words, some familiar and others utterly perplexing. In such moments, the only thing that can help survive through the process of reading and compiling scientific data is a dictionary. Yet, when you use a dictionary to write your work, you then inevitably need to cite it both in text and on your reference list, since it becomes integral to understanding your argument or research. Whether you’re dissecting a complex term in a paper or anchoring your thesis on a specific definition, knowing how to properly cite a dictionary is an essential skill for any student.

When Would You Need to Cite a Dictionary?

In academic papers, a well-defined term is what guides the readers throughout your whole work. Let’s assume you’re crafting a paper on the intricacies of existentialism. You use the word “absurd” a lot since it is necessary for your argument. That’s your cue to a) give a proper explanation of the term , and b) cite the dictionary you used to define the term in the first place .

Now, imagine you’re examining a scientific concept, perhaps in the field of quantum mechanics. If you’re using a specific definition to explain the term “superposition” to your readers, then it’s time to include the dictionary you used in the list of reference entries. And let’s not forget about those moments when you’re painting a picture with words, perhaps in a literature analysis. If you’re digging into the symbolism of “light” in Virginia Woolf’s work, a precise definition can be your paintbrush.

In short, whenever a definition is the lynchpin of your argument or the key to understanding your discussion, it’s time to use and then cite the dictionary. This allows your readers to trace the source of your definition and lends credibility to your work.

How to Cite a Dictionary in APA Style

Citing a dictionary in APA style is a straightforward process, but you must get all the details right. Here’s the general format:

Author(s). (Publication Year). Title of entry. In Title of dictionary (Edition). Publisher.

For example, if you’re citing an entry from Collins English Dictionary, your citation might look like this:

You may also need to add a specific page where you found the definition. The page number is added AFTER the specified edition of the dictionary.

For the in-text citations , you just need to include an author and publication year in parentheses: (Collins, 2019) . When mentioned in the narrative you can simply say “Collins (2019)”.

How to Cite an Online Dictionary

Citing an online dictionary in APA style requires a few additional details, particularly the URL. Here’s the format:

Author(s). (Publication Year). Title of entry. In Title of dictionary . Retrieved Month, Date, Year, from URL

Note that if the dictionary is continuously updated and doesn’t have a specific publication date, you can use “n.d.” (no date) in place of the year.

How to Cite a Dictionary in MLA

The MLA format for citing a dictionary is slightly different from APA. Here’s the overall structure.

What to Do If You Are Citing a Single Entry

If you’re only referencing a single entry from a dictionary, the citation should focus on that specific word or term

In APA style, this would mean including the title of the entry in the citation , as shown in the examples above. In MLA style, you would start the citation with the title of the entry, followed by the dictionary’s details.

In case all these rules seem hard, use our citation generator

Knowing how to create a dictionary citation is a must-have skill for any student. No matter if you’re using a print or online dictionary, following the correct citation format—be it APA, Vancouver, or MLA— maintains your work’s integrity and credibility. Providing clear references to the definitions that support your arguments, helps you strengthen your writing as well as demonstrate respect for intellectual property. So, the next time you reach for that dictionary, remember that citing it correctly is just as important as understanding the words within.

How do you cite a dictionary entry in APA format?

To cite a dictionary entry in APA format, you’ll need the following information: author(s) (if available), publication year, title of the entry, title of the dictionary, edition (if available), and publisher. The general format is:

Author(s). (Publication Year). Title of entry. In Title of Dictionary (Edition). Publisher.

For example:

Merriam-Webster. (2020). Empirical. In Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11th ed.). Merriam-Webster.

What is the MLA citation format for a dictionary?

In MLA format, you’ll cite a dictionary entry like this: “Title of Entry.” Title of Dictionary , edition (if not the first), Publisher, Year.

For instance:

“Empirical.” Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary , 11th ed., Merriam-Webster, 2020.

Can you give an example of citing a dictionary in Chicago style?

In Chicago style, a dictionary citation in a bibliography might look like this:

Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary . 11th ed. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 2020.

And in a footnote:

1. Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary , 11th ed. (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 2020), s.v. “empirical.”

Is it necessary to include page numbers when citing a dictionary?

Typically, page numbers are not included when citing a dictionary entry. This is because dictionary entries are often accessed online or in a format where page numbers are not consistent across different editions or versions. Instead, focus on providing the title of the entry and other relevant details as outlined in the citation guidelines for the specific format you’re using.

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How to Cite a Dictionary Meaning in MLA

Last Updated: September 15, 2021 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 81,338 times.

Citing a dictionary definition is a little different than referencing an authored book, but it’s easy to get the hang of. An MLA citation shows the reader exactly where to find the source you accessed, so you’ll need to provide specific information about the entry. Include an in-text citation in parentheses right after the sentence that referenced the term. On your works cited page, list the term, the dictionary's title, its edition, its date of publication, and the page number. For an online dictionary, include the URL and the date you accessed the site.

Making a Parenthetical Citation

• A basic parenthetical citation would be: (“Onomatopoeia”). Instead of placing the period after sentence, add it after the citation, like this: Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates or suggests the sound it describes (“Onomatopoeia”).

• For example, your in-text citation would look like this: (“Turn,” def. V. 2a). Note the “V.” stands for verb; use “Adj.” for adjectives and “N.” for nouns.
• Write the part of speech and definition number as it appears in the dictionary. A dictionary might organize entries with numbers and letters (such as 1a) or with numbers alone (such as 1.2).
• If the word has multiple entries but only a single part of speech, just include the entry number: (“Wonderful,” def. 2).

• An example would be: (“Emoticon,” [Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary]).
• Suppose your paper references the definition of “Emoticon” in both Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary and the Oxford English Dictionary . If your in-text citations were just (“Emoticon”) or (“Emoticon,” N.), the reader wouldn’t know which dictionary you were referencing.

Citing a Print Dictionary

• If you specified the part of speech and definition number, include them in your works cited entry: “Content,” def. N. 1c. [5] X Research source
• Since there’s no known author, use the first letter of the term when you alphabetize your works cited page. For instance, you’d list “Content” after an entry authored by “Butler, J.” and before one authored by “Darwin, C.”

• At this point, your entry would look like this: “Content,” def. N. 1c. Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary ,

• Now your entry would read: “Content,” def. N. 1c. Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary , 11th ed.,

• Add the date like this: “Content,” def. N. 1c. Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary , 11th ed., 2003,

• Your finished entry would read: “Content,” def. N. 1c. Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary , 11th ed., 2003, p. 269.
• If your definition happens to appear on 2 pages, write “pp. 269-270.”

Citing an Online Dictionary

• The first part works cited entry for an online dictionary looks the same as a citation for printed source: “Content,” def. N. 1.1. Oxford English Dictionary ,

• Your entry at this point would read: “Content,” def. N. 1.1. Oxford English Dictionary , 2018,

• Add the URL like this: “Content,” def. N. 1.1. Oxford English Dictionary , 2018, en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/content.

• Your completed entry would read: “Content,” def. N. 1.1. Oxford English Dictionary , 2018, en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/content. Accessed 23 September 2018.

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• Learn more about MLA style at https://style.mla.org . Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ https://style.mla.org/term-with-numbered-definitions/
• ↑ https://style.mla.org/distinguishing-dictionary-entries/
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_page_books.html
• ↑ https://style.mla.org/when-citing-a-print-dictionary-in-mla-style-do-i-include-a-page-number/
• ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/help/citing-the-dictionary
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_electronic_sources.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_and_style_guide.html?_ga=2.19623804.558179429.1522454400-1709346682.1522454400

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Authors/Editors

If an encyclopedia or dictionary entry has no author or editor, begin the citation with the title of the specific entry, followed by the year of publication in round brackets.

Capitalize the first letter of the first word of the title of the entry and the title of the encyclopedia or dictionary.

Capitalize the first letter of proper names in titles, such as names of places or people. Example: Canada

Place of Publication

For cities in the US and Canada list the city name and the province or state code. For other countries, list the city name and the country. Examples: Toronto, ON ; Tokyo, Japan

Publication Information for Online Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

Don't include the place of publication or a publisher for an online encyclopedia or dictionary.

If you accessed the encyclopedia or dictionary through a website, provide the url instead.

In-Text Citation - No Author

If a dictionary or encyclopedia entry has no author, the in-text citation should include the title of the entry. The title of the entry should be in quotation marks, with each word starting with a capital letter. The title of the entry will be followed by a comma and the year of publication. If you are quoting directly from the entry, you will also add the number of the page where the quote appears.

Paraphrasing :

("Cat Care," 2011)

("Cat Care," 2011, p. 38)

In-Text Citation - Page Numbers

Page numbers may not be available for an online dictionary or encyclopedia entry. Here are some options if you have no page numbers and you are quoting directly:

If paragraph numbers are given, use that number where you'd normally put the page number with the word "para." in front of it. Example: (Smith, 2012, para. 3). This example refers to the third paragraph in the entry

If you have no paragraph numbers, but the entry has section headings, you can use those. Encyclopedia entries often have section headings. Enter the section heading name, followed by the word "section" and then the number of the paragraph within that section. Example: (Smith, 2012, Climate section, para. 2). This example refers to the second paragraph under the Climate section of the entry.

If you have no paragraph numbers and no headings, as may be the case for many dictionary entries, skip the page/paragraph/section information and give the author's last name and date only. Example: (Smith, 2012)

Note : All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

Title of entry. (n.d.). In Wikipedia . Retrieved Month Day, Year that website was viewed, from URL for entry

Note : According to APA, n.d. is used instead of a date of publication as the date is difficult to determine. Include the date you viewed the website as the content is likely to change over time.

Wikipedia may not be considered an acceptable source for a college or university assignment. Be sure to evaluate the content carefully and check your assignment.

Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary From Library Database - Known Author - No D O I

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary ( edition if given and is not first edition ) . Retrieved from Database Name database.

Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary From Library Database - Known Author - With D O I

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary ( edition if given and is not first edition ) . doi: doi number

Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary From Library Database - Unknown Author - No D O I

Title of entry. (Year of Publication). In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary ( edition if given and is not first edition ) . Retrieved from Database Name database.

Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary From a Website - Known Author

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication).Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary ( edition if given and is not first edition ) . Retrieved from url

Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary From a Website - Unknown Author

Title of entry. (Year of Publication). In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary ( edition if given and is not first edition ) . Retrieved from url

Encyclopedia or Dictionary Entry In Print - Known Author

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary (Volume number, pp. first page of entry-last page of entry). Publication City, Province, State or Country: Publisher Name often shortened.

Encyclopedia or Dictionary In Print - Unknown Author

Title of entry. (Year of Publication). In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary (Volume number if any, pp. first page of entry-last page of entry or p. page number for one page entry). Publication City, Province, State or Country: Publisher Name often shortened.

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / How to Cite a Dictionary in MLA

How to Cite a Dictionary in MLA

Dictionary – Definitions in print, on a website, or on an online database.

Citing a dictionary entry from a website or print book

Dictionary citation structure:.

“Title of Entry.” Title of Dictionary , edition (if applicable), Publisher, date published, page number or URL.

*Title note:  If the word you are citing includes multiple parts of speech and/or definitions, be sure to include the specific definition you are citing as part of the title. The part of speech should be abbreviated and italicized and included after the word, preceded by a comma. The definition number should follow the part of speech in parentheses.

For example, “Title of entry,  Abbreviated part of speech.  (Definition number).”

Dictionary Citation Example:

“Food Bank.” Cambridge Dictionary , Cambridge University Press, dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/food-bank.

Dictionary In-text Citation Structure :

(“Title of Entry”)

Dictionary In-text Citation Example:

(“Food Bank”)

Published August 10, 2012. Updated May 29, 2021.

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To cite a dictionary in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the entry’s headword (as it appears), part of speech, the title of the dictionary, and when applicable, the URL. If the definition lists multiple possible definitions, you also need to include the definition number. Templates for an in-text citation and a works-cited-list reference for an online dictionary entry are given below, with examples:

In-text citation template and example:

In parenthetical citations, use the term in double quotation marks.

Parenthetical:

(“Entry Word”).

(“Transliterate”).

When there is a definition number, use the term in double quotation marks followed by the abbreviation “def.” and the number as styled in the dictionary. Separate the definition entry word from the definition number with a comma.

(“Transliterate,” def. A18).

Works-cited-list entry template and example:

Style the entry title or headword by placing it in double quotation marks. Style the dictionary title by placing it in italics.

“Title of the Entry, Part of speech .” Title of the Dictionary , Year, URL.

“Transliterate, V .” Merriam-Webster , 2021, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transliterate .

Example with a definition number:

Include the definition number in the headword or entry title as it appears in the dictionary.

“Transliterate, V . (1).” Merriam-Webster , 2021, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transliterate .

To cite an encyclopedia entry in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the authors, entry, editors, publication year, title of the encyclopedia, publisher, and page numbers. The templates for in-text citations and works-cited-list entries of an encyclopedia entry, along with examples, are given below:

For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the author in the first occurrence. In subsequent citations, use only the surname. In parenthetical citations, always use only the surname of the author.

Citation in prose:

First mention: Carolyn Ellis . . .

Subsequent occurrences: Ellis . . .

. . . (Ellis)

The title of the encyclopedia is given in italics and is in title case.

Surname, First Name. “Title of the Entry.” Title of the Encyclopedia , edited by Name of the Editor, Publisher, Publication date, page.

Ellis, Carolyn. “Systematic Sociological Introspection.” The Sage Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods , edited by Lisa M. Given, Sage, 2012, p. 854.

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Answered By: Gabe Gossett Last Updated: Jan 03, 2020     Views: 76192

In most cases you should avoid using dictionaries and encyclopedias as cited sources in your papers. However, there may be some cases where it would be appropriate. This is how you would do it in those cases.

If you have an author for the entry use their name for the in-text citation and at the start of your reference list entry. When you don't have an author, which is often the case for these types of sources, follow the guidelines on page 176 of the APA Manual under example 6.15. There it states that “when a work has no identifiable author, cite the first few words of the reference list entry.”

Example in-text citation without an author :

The Charleston Index is one method for determining the mortality rate for patients with multiple diseases (Comorbidity, 2012).

Example reference list entry for the above in-text citation (note: also an example of an online reference source ):

Comorbidity. (2012, November 24). In  Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia . Retrieved 21:50, November 27, 2012, from  http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Comorbidity&oldid=524649802

Note: This is an example using Wikipedia, which is updated constantly. That is why there are more details than usual for the publication and retrieval date and time. For non-wiki reference works less detail is required.

Example in-text citation with an author :

Amnesty International was established in support of "prisoners of conscience" (Wong, 2012, p. 65).

Example reference list entry for the above in-text citation (note: also an example for a print source or source with a doi ):

Wong, W. (2012). Amnesty International. In H. Anheier, & M. Juergensmeyer (Eds.),  Encyclopedia of global studies.  (pp. 65-67). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452218557.n19

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Comments (6)

• I am trying to figure out how to reference a word from the urban dictionary website. The word is Wifey. And is used in my assignment as follows: The other half of my rock a in d support system is a wonderful woman I call my Wifey! by Mistry on Jan 19, 2019
• Hi Mistry, Citing the Urban Dictionary is tricky in that the APA Manual does not give specific guidance on citing from sources where there might be multiple definitions authored by different people. One thing that is important, however, is to make sure you are clear to your reader about which entry you are citing. What I recommend in this case is using the author handle, or name, for the author. Also, since Urban Dictionary changes often it is a good idea to include a retrieved on date. In making these recommendations I am looking at the following sections 7.02 and 7.11 in the APA Manual and the APA Style Blog entry on citing Wikipedia So your reference list entry might follow a format of Author name OR User handle (Date). Wifey. In Urban Dictionary. Retrieved January 28, 2019, from https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Wifey by Gabe [Research & Writing Studio] on Jan 28, 2019
• Hi Gabe, I am trying to reference https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/well-being. Would this be right: Well-being. (n.d.). In English Oxford Living Dictionaries. Retrieved February 8, 2019, from https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/well-being ? I am not sure if 2019 can be considered the publication date.. Please advise. Thank you! by Shugs on Feb 08, 2019
• Hi Shugs, I think you have a pretty functional reference list entry there. I would personally lean towards using 2019 as the date since it is listed as the copyright in the footer myself. Also, while it doesn't hurt, for this source I don't think you need to have the accessed on date. In the example for this FAQ it is Wikipedia, which is often updated and therefore the access date and time helps the reader identify the information that you consulted. Regardsm Gabe by Gabe [Research & Writing Studio] on Feb 08, 2019
• Hi, I wanted to ask how then do we cite 2 different terms from the same source in APA 7? by Grace on Dec 12, 2021
• @Grace: That's a good question. Unfortunately, I don't see explicit guidance in the APA Manual on this particular question, but section 8.13 does provide some guidance that might help when citing a specific part of a source. The guidance is fairly open, stating "to cite a specific part of a source, provide an author-date citation for the work plus information about the specific part." You could use a page number, which might be the cleanest way to approach it. Otherwise, if you are clear in your narrative about which entry you are referring to, an author-date citation might suffice. The objective should be to make it clear to your reader where you are drawing your information from. by Gabe Gossett on Dec 14, 2021

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How to Cite a Dictionary Website

Last Updated: September 15, 2021

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Jennifer Mueller is a wikiHow Content Creator. She specializes in reviewing, fact-checking, and evaluating wikiHow's content to ensure thoroughness and accuracy. Jennifer holds a JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2006. This article has been viewed 25,754 times.

When writing a research paper, you may need to quote or paraphrase the dictionary definition of a word. If you use an online dictionary, you can't just cite the print dictionary. A proper citation lets your readers go directly to the source you used. The basic information included in a citation to a dictionary website is the same regardless of the citation style you use. However, the format differs depending on whether you're using the Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), or Chicago citation style.

• Example: "Filibuster."

• Example: "Filibuster." Merriam-Webster's Learners Dictionary,

• Example: "Filibuster." Merriam-Webster's Learners Dictionary, 16 July 2018,
• If there is no date appears on the web page for the entry, simply leave this information out of the citation. Do not use the copyright date for the website.

• Example: "Filibuster." Merriam-Webster's Learners Dictionary, 16 July 2018, Merriam-Webster . www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/filibuster.

• Example: "Filibuster." Merriam-Webster's Learners Dictionary, 16 July 2018, Merriam-Webster . www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/filibuster. Accessed 27 July 2018.

• Example: ("Filibuster").

• Example: Filibuster.

• Example: Filibuster. (2018).

• Example: Filibuster. (2018). In Merriam-Webster's learners dictionary .
• If the dictionary has a named editor, list that name before the name of the dictionary. For example: Filibuster. (2018). In I. M. Wordsmith (Ed.), Merriam-Webster's learners dictionary .

• Example: Filibuster. (2018). In Merriam-Webster's learners dictionary . Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/filibuster

• Example: ("Filibuster," 2018).

• Example: Merriam-Webster's Learners Dictionary , s.v. "Filibuster,"

• Example: Merriam-Webster's Learners Dictionary , s.v. "Filibuster," accessed July 27, 2018,

• Example: Merriam-Webster's Learners Dictionary , s.v. "Filibuster," accessed July 27, 2018, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/filibuster.

• The abbreviation "s.v." also indicates to your readers that the source consists of alphabetical entries. Even if you were using a print dictionary, you wouldn't include the page number where the word appears. Rather, readers would simply look up the word.
• Well-known dictionaries are typically only cited in footnotes, not in the bibliography. When in doubt, go ahead and include the bibliography entry – especially for online dictionaries.

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• ↑ https://www.lib.sfu.ca/help/cite-write/citation-style-guides/chicago/encyclopedias-dictionaries

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When including URLs, use a DOI or permalink  if available. The  MLA Handbook  encourages writers to list the available URL if there is not a DOI or permalink.

 Note : If you do not have information such as an editor's name, a volume or page numbers, omit those elements from your citation.

"Title of Entry." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia,  Wikimedia Foundation, Day Month Year entry was last modified, Time entry was last modified, URL of entry. Accessed Day Month Year Wikipedia entry was last viewed.

"Body Image."  Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia,  Wikimedia  Foundation, 16 June 2016, 7:41 pm, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_image.

 Notes :

• Wikipedia may not be considered an acceptable source for assignments. Be sure to evaluate the content carefully and check your assignment
• The date and time the article was last modified appears at the bottom of each Wikipedia article. You may include an access date as an optional element if you think it will be useful to your readers.

Encyclopedia or Dictionary from Library Database

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Entry." Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , edited by   Editor's First Name Last Name, Edition if given and not first edition, vol. Volume Number, Publisher Name, Date of Publication, pp. First Page - Last Page. Name of Database,  permalink URL or DOI.

Selby, Christine. "Assessment."  Eating Disorders: An Encyclopedia of Causes, Treatment, and Prevention , edited by Justine J. Reel,  ABC-CLIO , 2014, pp. 35-43. ProQuest E-book Central,  https:// ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/knowledgecenter/detail.action?pq-origsite=primo&docID=1135401.

Encyclopedia or Dictionary From Database - Unknown Author

"Title of Entry."  Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , edited by   Editor's First Name Last Name, Edition if given and not first edition, vol. Volume Number, Publisher Name, Date of Publication, pp. First Page - Last Page.  Name of Database.  

"Shakespeare, William."  Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia , World Book, 2016.  Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, https://unr.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=funk&AN=SH093700&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

  Note: This example had no editor's name, edition, volume or page numbers, so these elements were left out of the citation.

Encyclopedia or Dictionary From a Website

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Entry."  Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , Publication or Update Date , Name of Website. URL. Accessed Day Month Year of Access.  

McLean, Steve. "The Tragically Hip."  The Canadian Encyclopedia , 26 Mar. 2015,  Historica Canada . www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/article/the-tragically-hip-emc. Accessed 27 Jun. 2016.

 Note : In this example the date of last edit is listed as publication or update date. List the full date if given in Day,  Month, Year format, abbreviating the month. Date of access is the day the website was visited.

Encyclopedia or Dictionary in Print

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Entry." Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary, edited by Editor's First Name Last Name, Edition if given and not first edition, vol. Volume Number, Publisher Name, Year of Publication, pp. First Page - Last Page.

Barber, Russell J. "Anthropological Ethics."  Ethics , edited by John K. Roth, Rev. ed., vol. 1, Salem Press, 2005, pp. 67-69.

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MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

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On This Page: Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

Encyclopedia or dictionary from library database - known author, encyclopedia or dictionary from library database - unknown author, encyclopedia or dictionary from a website - known author, encyclopedia or dictionary from a website - unknown author, encyclopedia or dictionary entry in print - known author, encyclopedia or dictionary in print - unknown author, citing two authors, citing three or more authors, abbreviating months.

In your works cited list, abbreviate months as follows: 

January = Jan. February = Feb. March = Mar. April = Apr. May = May June = June July = July August = Aug. September = Sept. October = Oct. November = Nov. December = Dec.

Spell out months fully in the body of your paper. 

It can sometimes be difficult to find out who the author of a website is. Remember that an author can be a corporation or group, not only a specific person. Author information can sometimes be found under an "About" section on a website.

If there is no known author, start the citation with the title of the article instead.

Capitalize the first letter of every important word in the title. You do not need to capitalize words such as: in, of, or an. Do not use all-caps (except for words like USA where each letter stands for something), even if the words appear that way on the article.

If there is a colon (:) in the title, include what comes after the colon (also known as the subtitle).

The publisher or sponsoring organization can often be found in a copyright notice at the bottom of the home page or on a page that gives information about the site.  When the page is authored and published by the same corporation/group/organization, omit the author and begin your citation with the title. 

Publisher information may be omitted for:

• periodicals (journals, magazines, newspapers)
• works published by an author or editor
• web sites whose title is the same as the name of the publisher
• a web site not involved in producing the work it makes (e.g. user-generated content sites like  YouTube )

The best date to use for a website is the date that the content was last updated. Otherwise look for a copyright or original publication date. Unfortunately this information may not be provided or may be hard to find. Often date information is put on the bottom of the pages of a website.

If you do not know the complete date, put as much information as you can find. For example you may have a year but no month or day.

Access Date

Date of access is optional in MLA 9th edition. When no publication date is included, we recommend including the date you last accessed the site.

Note : For your Works Cited list, all citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Entry." Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , edited by   Editor's First Name Last Name, Edition if given and not first edition, vol. Volume Number if more than one volume, Publisher Name, Date of Publication,  pp. First Page-Last Page. Name of Database .  https://doi.org/DOI if there is one.

 Note : MLA 9th edition recommends including a DOI, stable link, or URL. We recommend that URLs be left out when citing a work found in a library database. Because library databases require a login most URLs will stop working after the session ends. If there is a DOI, include this as the last element, beginning with https://doi.org/.

If you do not have information such as an editor's name, a volume or page numbers leave those sections out of your citation.

 "Title of Entry."  Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , edited by   Editor's First Name Last Name, Edition if given and not first edition, vol. Volume Number, Publisher Name, Date of Publication, pp. First Page-Last Page.  Name of Database .   https://doi.org/DOI if there is one.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Entry."  Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , Publication or Update Date,   URL. Accessed  Day Month Year site was visited .  

"Title of Entry."  Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , Publisher if known, Copyright Date or Date Updated,   URL. Accessed Day Month Year site was visited .  

"Title of Entry." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia,  Wikimedia Foundation, Day Month Year entry was last modified, Time entry was last modified, URL of entry. Accessed Day Month Year Wikipedia entry was last viewed.

 Note : The date and time the article was last modified appears at the bottom of each Wikipedia article.

Keep in mind that Wikipedia may not be considered an acceptable source for a college or university assignment. Be sure to evaluate the content carefully and check with your instructor if you can use it as a source in your assignment.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Entry."  Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , edited by   Editor's First Name Last Name, Edition if given and not first edition, vol. Volume Number, Publisher Name, Year of Publication, pp. First Page-Last Page.

 "Title of Entry."  Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , edited by   Editor's First Name Last Name, Edition if given and not first edition, vol. Volume Number, Publisher Name, Year of Publication, pp. First Page-Last Page.

If there are two authors, cite the the authors as follows (list authors in the order they are given on the page, not alphabetically):

Last Name, First Name of First Author, and First Name Last Name of Second Author.

Example: Smith, James, and Sarah Johnston.

If there are three or more authors, cite only the name of the first author listed with their Last Name, First Name followed by a comma et al.

Example: Smith, James, et al.

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Answered By: Gopal Dutta Last Updated: Sep 23, 2021     Views: 51459

You do not always need to cite and reference a dictionary definition. Whether you need to or not will depend on the type of dictionary and/or how you are using the definition in your work.   Language dictionaries   As you are not using the words, ideas or theory of an author, you do not usually need to cite and reference a language dictionary (for example the Oxford English dictionary). Instead, introduce the definition in your writing.  One way to present this is as follows:   According to the Oxford English Dictionary the definition of [XXXXX] is [XXXXXX]   If however you have a particular need in your work to cite a language dictionary definition, for example, if comparing varying definitions from language dictionaries by different publishers, follow the format as follows.  The example provided is for an online dictionary, therefore 'online' is used in the citation in place of the page number.

Example citation

(Oxford English Dictionary, 2016:online)

If you are going to refer to the Oxford English Dictionary again in your work, introduce the acronym OED in your citation as follows

(Oxford English Dictionary [OED], 2016:online)

Oxford English Dictionary. (2016) reference, v. 3 . Oxford: Oxford University. [Online] [Accessed on 10th February 2017] http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/160845 

Subject dictionaries and encyclopedias   As subject dictionaries and encyclopedias are usually written by a specific author/s or organisation, and contextual definitions are provided, you will need to cite and reference them in the usual way.   

Many subject dictionaries and encyclopedias, are edited books with entries written by different authors. In this instance follow the format for referencing a  Chapter in an edited book  

Example reference 

Muncie, J. (2001) 'Labelling.' In McLaughlin, E. and Muncie, J. (eds.) The SAGE dictionary of criminology . London: SAGE, pp. 159-160.

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Answered By: Paul Lai Last Updated: Jul 17, 2023     Views: 810188

If you are creating an in-text citation for a dictionary entry, you would follow APA's standard in-text citation guidelines of including the first part of the reference and the year. For example, your in-text citations might look like this: ( Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary , 1999) or (Onomatopoeia, n.d.). These in-text citations would then align with your reference list citations. 

If you are citing a full dictionary in your reference list, you would place the title of the dictionary in the position where the author’s name would normally go, so it would look like this:

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary  (10th ed.). (1999). Merriam-Webster Incorporated.

If you are citing a single entry in an online dictionary, you will need to include the word that you looked up first, so it would look something like this:

Onomatopoeia. (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary . http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/onomatopoeia

Additional Resources:

• Learn more about citing electronic sources.
• See How do I cite in my text? for more tips on in-text citations.
• View some common reference list examples on the Writing Center's website . 

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Other questions about your doctoral capstone or the form and style review? Email the form and style editors at [email protected] .

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Cite A Dictionary entry in Harvard style

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Use the following template or our Harvard Referencing Generator how to cite a dictionary. For help with other source types, like books, PDFs, or websites, check out our other guides. To have your reference list or bibliography automatically made for you, try our free citation generator .

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Place this part in your bibliography or reference list at the end of your assignment.

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Do I need to cite a source when defining terms?

In my research paper, I have set aside space to define terms (each having a bullet point). My confusion is how I go about defining these terms. Do I quote a dictionary, another research paper in the field, or do I paraphrase either one? I found one paper giving definitions , but the author doesn't cite any source. Does this mean the words fall under 'common knowledge'?

• writing-style

The purpose of defining terms is to make it clear to your readers how you are using these terms, for example because:

• there is no consistent use of these terms in the existing literature,
• because your paper’s audience is not familiar with these terms, e.g., due to coming from another field,
• you created a concise term for some concept that you introduce in your paper.

First of all, this is not a case of common knowledge: If it were, why define at all? However, that does not mean that you must cite somebody. Instead cite somebody if:

You rely on a specific piece of work. If you had to look up the definition instead of coming up with it yourself, this almost certainly applies. Keep in mind that coming up with a useful definition of some things is a challenge and deserves credit. On the other hand, as a rule of thumb, you do not need to cite if you would not know whom to possibly cite in the first place (possibly after a short literature search).

You want to affirm that you are adhering to some standard. Using established definitions does not only make your work easier to read but also may make it comparable to other works or reüsable. If nothing else, providing a source for your definitions may calm down Reviewer 2.

Some examples:

I would not cite in the following statement, which is essentially clarifying a well-known conflict between two common definitions (whose history I do not know):

We here define the natural numbers ℕ to include zero.

I would cite in the following example, not only for giving credit but also for affirming my approach:

We here define epilepsy as […]. This is equivalent to the definition by Fisher et al (2008), except for […]. This difference is due to the practical reason that […].

Do I quote a dictionary, […]?

Regular dictionaries reflect the common non subject-specific usage of terms, which is by nature often broad, fuzzy, context-dependent, and different from academic definitions (if they exist). This usage is also what you have to expect readers to understand if a term you use in a paper is not specifically defined and there is no established use in your field. With other words, the dictionary definition is the fallback default anyway.

Therefore quoting a dictionary for definition is pointless in my opinion: it changes nothing and clarifies nothing. If you think that a dictionary definition is the best guidance you can give to your readers, you may as well skip it.

(Note that field-specific dictionaries are a completely different thing.)

Do I quote […] another research paper in the field, or do I paraphrase either one?

This may depend on your field, but I would refrain from paraphrasing definitions just for the sake of paraphrasing. If I rephrase definitions, I risk changing it. Therefore I would only do so with a good reason and when I can be confident that my changes do not affect the outcome, e.g., I could change symbols in mathematical definitions to match the conventions of my paper.

In all other cases and particularly in fields where exact words are important, I would rather use a huge quote than paraphrasing. Still, conventions here may vastly differ between (sub)fields, so best check what is common in yours. Either way, once you build upon somebody else’s work like this, you should cite.

• I fully agree with everything except the part about quoting a dictionary. Under some circumstances, quoting and citing a dictionary can be entirely appropriate. It lets your reader know precisely which definition you are using for words that can be defined in multiple ways. In some fields, such as law, citing the source dictionary can also matter since some dictionaries will be viewed as far more authoritative than others if you want to argue that the definition you selected is the one that should be accepted broadly. –  TimothyAWiseman Commented Dec 27, 2018 at 0:00

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