How To Cite A Dictionary In APA Style | Fast Rule Check

If you’ve ever paused mid-sentence and thought, “Do I cite this definition?” you’re not alone. Dictionary citations feel small, yet they can make your writing look tidy and careful.

This guide shows how to cite a dictionary in apa style for online and print entries, with patterns you can copy into your References list and in-text citations.

You’ll also see what to do when dates are missing.

When A Dictionary Citation Fits

Most daily words don’t need a dictionary citation. You usually cite a dictionary when the definition is central to your point, the term is used in a technical way, or you’re comparing wording across sources.

Try this quick gut-check. Does your reader need the definition to follow your claim? Would your claim shift if a different definition were used? If yes, cite the entry you relied on.

If you only used a dictionary to check spelling or pronunciation, you can skip the citation and keep your reference list tight.

What You Need For An APA Dictionary Citation

Before you format anything, collect the parts APA asks for. Online entries often tuck details in small print, so grab them in one pass.

• Entry title: the headword you looked up.
• Date: a year, a full date, or n.d. when no date is shown.
• Entry author: sometimes a person is credited, but many dictionaries do not list one.
• Dictionary title: the name of the dictionary or site hosting the entry.
• Retrieval date: used when entries are updated and the page is not archived.
• URL: the direct link to the entry page.

Use Case	In-Text Citation Pattern	Reference Entry Pattern
Online entry with no author shown	(“Entry title”, n.d.)	Entry title. (n.d.). In Dictionary title. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL
Online entry with a person credited	(Author, n.d.)	Author, A. A. (n.d.). Entry title. In Dictionary title. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL
Online entry with an organization as author	(Organization Name, n.d.)	Organization Name. (n.d.). Entry title. In Dictionary title. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL
Online entry with a posted year or full date	(Author or “Entry title”, 2024)	Author or Entry title. (2024). In Dictionary title. URL
Quoting a line from an online entry	(“Entry title”, n.d., para. 1)	Use the matching online-entry reference format
Print dictionary entry	(Dictionary Title, 2020)	Entry title. (2020). In Dictionary title (Edition, p. xx). Publisher
Print dictionary entry with an editor	(Editor Surname, 2020)	Entry title. (2020). In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Dictionary title (Edition, p. xx). Publisher
Multiple entries from the same dictionary	Cite each entry title in text	Create separate reference entries for each headword you used
Entry in a library database	Use the same author/date rules	Entry title. (Year or n.d.). In Dictionary title. Retrieved date, from stable URL or database link

How To Cite A Dictionary In APA Style

Most students cite online dictionaries, so start there. The basic move is simple: name the entry, name the dictionary, add a date or n.d., then point to the exact page you used.

When the page can shift over time, add a retrieval date. Some university guidance recommends retrieval dates for website-style entries since updates are common.

Step 1: Check Who “Owns” The Entry

Scan the entry for an author line. If no person is named, many styles let the entry title stand in as the first element in the reference list.

Step 2: Record The Date Or Use n.d.

If the entry page lists a year (or a full date), use it. If no date is listed, use n.d. for “no date.”

Step 3: Decide On A Retrieval Date

Retrieval dates show when you viewed a page that can be updated. Many dictionary sites revise entries, so a retrieval date can be a safe pick when your course expects it.

Step 4: Build The Reference List Entry

Write the entry title first (or the author, if one is credited). Then add the date in parentheses. After that, name the dictionary in italics, then the retrieval date and URL when needed.

If you want a wider refresher on APA citation rules, the Purdue OWL APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition) lays out the core parts of in-text citations and reference lists.

For dictionary-specific patterns, APA’s own examples are grouped on APA Style dictionary entry references.

Online Entry Without A Named Author

Use the entry title as the first element. Put the entry title in sentence case in the reference list, then (n.d.) if no date is shown, then the dictionary name.

Sample reference entry: Serial killer. (n.d.). In Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved May 11, 2021, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/serial-killer

Sample in-text citation: (“Serial killer”, n.d.)

Online Entry With A Credited Author

If a person is credited for the entry, start with that person’s name. Then list the entry title, dictionary title, retrieval date, and URL.

Sample reference entry: Gordon Melton, J. (n.d.). Wicca. In Britannica. Retrieved May 11, 2021, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wicca

Online Entry With An Organization As Author

When an organization is credited, use the organization name as the author, then follow the same entry structure.

Sample reference entry: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (n.d.). Atropine sulfate. In British National Formulary. Retrieved December 31, 2022, from https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/atropine-sulfate/

Citing A Dictionary In APA Style For Print Copies

Print dictionaries still show up in libraries and course packs. The logic is similar: name the entry, name the dictionary, then show the edition and page so a reader can locate the same spot in the book.

Template: Entry title. (Year). In Dictionary title (Edition, p. xx). Publisher.

In-text move: Use the same first element you used in the reference list. If you start with the entry title, put that title in quotation marks in your in-text citation.

In-Text Citations That Match Your Reference List

Your in-text citation points to your reference list entry. If you start the reference entry with the entry title, you cite the entry title in text. If you start with an author, you cite the author.

If you quote a line and there are no page numbers, add paragraph numbers using para. after the date.

Formatting Details That Keep Citations Neat

Small formatting choices can make a dictionary citation look polished. In your reference list, write the entry title in sentence case, then put the date in parentheses right after it. Italicize the dictionary title, not the entry title.

For print sources, edition details and the page number sit in the same parentheses after the dictionary title, separated by a comma, like (2nd ed., p. 431). That keeps the entry compact and easy to scan.

Alphabetize your reference list based on the first element of the entry. In your paper, either use parenthetical citations at sentence end or weave the author into the sentence, then add the date in parentheses.

Special Situations That Trip People Up

Multiple Entries In One Paper

If you use three separate headwords from the same dictionary, cite each entry you used. That usually means three reference list entries, one per headword.

Same Entry Used More Than Once

If you use the same entry again later, reuse the same in-text citation. You don’t add a second reference list entry for the same URL unless you used a different edition or a different entry page.

Quoting Versus Paraphrasing A Definition

If you quote the definition word-for-word, add a paragraph number for online entries or a page number for print copies. If you paraphrase, a normal author-date citation usually does the job.

Field Checklist Before You Submit

This table is a quick scan you can run right before you turn in your paper. If each row checks out, your citation is usually in good shape.

Piece	What To Copy	Where To Find It
Entry title	Headword in sentence case	Top of the entry page or page header
Date	Year, full date, or n.d.	“Last updated,” “published,” or no date shown
Dictionary title	Exact site or book title	Logo area, page title, or title page
Retrieval date	Month Day, Year you viewed it	Your notes or browser history
URL	Direct link to the entry	Address bar on the entry page
Edition and page	Edition, p. xx	Copyright page and page footer
In-text match	First element matches reference entry	Compare your in-text citation to the first word of the reference entry
Quoted line locator	para. 1 or p. xx	Count paragraphs online or use the page number in print

Copy-Ready Templates

Use these as a starting point, then replace the bracketed parts with your entry details. Keep spacing and punctuation as shown.

Online Entry Without Author

Entry title. (n.d.). In Dictionary title. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL

Online Entry With Author

Author, A. A. (Year or n.d.). Entry title. In Dictionary title. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL

Print Entry

Entry title. (Year). In Dictionary title (Edition, p. xx). Publisher

Common Errors And Fast Fixes

Using The Dictionary Home Page URL

Link to the entry page you used, not the site’s front page. Your reader should land on the exact definition you cited.

Mixing Up Entry Title And Dictionary Title

The entry title is the word being defined. The dictionary title is the name of the reference work. If your reference entry starts with the wrong one, your in-text citation will look off.

Skipping Quotation Marks For No-Author Entries

When your reference list starts with the entry title, your in-text citation uses that entry title in quotation marks.

Skipping A Locator When Quoting

If you quote a line from an online entry, add a paragraph number. If you quote from a print entry, add the page number.

One Clean Walkthrough From Start To Finish

Say you looked up a term in an online dictionary and the entry page shows no author and no date. You can still cite it cleanly.

1. Copy the headword as your entry title.
2. Use n.d. as the date.
3. Italicize the dictionary title.
4. Add a retrieval date if your course expects it for dictionary pages.
5. Paste the direct URL to the entry.
6. In your paper, cite the entry title in quotation marks with n.d.

Once you’ve done it once, it stops feeling weird. Your citations start to look like they belong there.

So, the next time you catch yourself searching how to cite a dictionary in apa style, you’ll have patterns that cover the common cases without extra fuss.