How to Cite the Dictionary in APA | Clean Entry Format

A dictionary citation sounds small until you need it. One definition can set the meaning for a paragraph, settle a term your teacher cares about, or stop a reader from misreading your point. If you use a dictionary for meaning, cite it like any other source. Handy for lab reports too.

This page gives you the pieces APA uses for dictionary entries in APA 7: online, print, and clean in-text lines.

Fast format map for dictionary citations

Dictionary source	Reference list format	In-text citation format
Online entry, group author, no date	Group. (n.d.). Entry. In Dictionary. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL	(Group, n.d.)
Online entry, group author, year shown	Group. (Year). Entry. In Dictionary. URL	(Group, Year)
Online entry, no author line	Dictionary. (n.d.). Entry. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL	(“Entry”, n.d.)
Print dictionary, group author	Group. (Year). Entry. In Dictionary (Edition, p. x). Publisher	(Group, Year, p. x)
Print dictionary, signed entry	Author. (Year). Entry. In Editor (Ed.), Dictionary (Edition, p. x). Publisher	(Author, Year, p. x)
You paraphrase the definition	Use the matching reference format above	(Author or Group, Year)
You quote the definition	Use the matching reference format above	Add p. x (print) or para. x (online)
Entry from a site updated often	Add a retrieval date when the entry has n.d.	(Group, n.d.)

What APA treats as a dictionary entry

In APA, a dictionary is a reference work. You cite the entry you used, not the whole dictionary, since each word has its own definition page online or its own location in print. Your goal is simple: let a reader land on the same entry you used.

Before you type a citation, answer two questions:

• Where did you read it? an online entry page or a print book.
• Who is credited? a group name, a person, or no author line.

If you want an official set of models to compare against, use the APA Style examples for dictionary references. They show the same moving parts used below: author, date, entry title, dictionary title, and the link when the source is online. APA Style dictionary entry references

How to Cite the Dictionary in APA for online entries

Online dictionaries are the most common classroom source. Many entries do not show a clear year, and that’s where APA’s “n.d.” plus a retrieval date comes in. Use a retrieval date only when the entry is undated and the site can change the text.

Online entry with a group author and no date

Reference list template

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

In-text template

• (Group Author, n.d.)
• Group Author (n.d.) in narrative form

What to double-check

• The group author is the dictionary brand, not your school, browser, or database.
• The URL is the entry page, not the dictionary home page.

Online entry with a year shown

If the entry page shows a year, use it and skip the retrieval date line.

• Group Author. (Year). Entry title. In Dictionary Title. URL

Online entry with no author line

If no author line appears anywhere on the entry page, start the reference with the dictionary title. For the in-text citation, use the entry title in quotation marks plus the year or n.d.

• Dictionary Title. (n.d.). Entry title. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL
• (“Entry title,” n.d.)

Print dictionary entries in APA

Print dictionaries are stable once published. Use the year for the edition you used and include a page number when you quote the definition.

If you need a campus-safe model for print reference works, Purdue OWL shows print dictionary patterns that match APA 7’s author-date system and chapter-style formatting. Purdue OWL other print sources

Print dictionary with a group author

• Group Author. (Year). Entry title. In Dictionary Title (Edition, p. x). Publisher.

Print dictionary entry with a named author

Some subject dictionaries have signed entries plus an editor line. Treat that entry like a chapter inside an edited book.

• Author, A. A. (Year). Entry title. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Dictionary Title (Edition, p. x). Publisher.

In-text citations for dictionary definitions

In-text citations follow standard APA author-date rules. Add a locator only when you quote the exact wording. For print, that’s a page number. For online, use a paragraph number if the page has paragraphs that your reader can count.

Paraphrasing a definition

Paraphrasing means you restate the meaning in your own words. You still cite the entry because the meaning came from that source.

• Parenthetical: (Merriam-Webster, n.d.)
• Narrative: Merriam-Webster (n.d.) defines the term as …

Quoting a definition

Quoting means you keep the exact wording. Keep dictionary quotes short, then attach a locator:

• Print: (Oxford University Press, 2010, p. 201)
• Online: (Merriam-Webster, n.d., para. 2)

If the entry has no paragraph structure you can count, cite author and date only, and quote just enough words that a reader can spot the line quickly.

Quick build method you can repeat

When citations go wrong, it’s often because one element is missing or out of order. This method keeps the order steady.

1. Grab the author line from the entry page or title page. If it’s a group, keep its spelling and punctuation.
2. Find a year. If none exists online, use n.d.
3. Write the entry title as plain text, then end it with a period.
4. Add the dictionary title in italics, preceded by “In”.
5. Add retrieval date and URL only when the entry has n.d.; otherwise, end with the URL.
6. Match your in-text citation to the same author and year you used in the reference list.

Common mistakes that cost points

Entry title and dictionary title swapped

The entry title is the word you searched. The dictionary title is the book or site name. In the reference list, the dictionary title is italic. The entry title is not.

Retrieval date used on a dated entry

If the entry has a year, you can skip the retrieval date. Save retrieval dates for undated entries that can change.

URL copied from a search result page

Search pages and session links break. Open the entry, then copy the direct entry URL.

Author missing from the in-text citation

If your reference begins with Merriam-Webster, your in-text citation should start with Merriam-Webster too. Keep those pieces paired.

Field guide for online entries

Use this when you’re building a reference line from scratch.

Entry part	What you write	Where it goes
Author	Group name shown on the entry page	Start of the reference
Date	Year, or n.d. when no year appears	After author, in parentheses
Entry title	The word you searched	After the date
Container	In Dictionary Title	Right after the entry title
Retrieval line	Retrieved Month Day, Year, from	Only with n.d.
URL	Direct entry link	End of the reference
In-text match	(Author, Year) in your sentence	Near the definition

Using dictionary citations well in papers

A dictionary is a starter source. Use it when a term anchors your argument, when a word has a common meaning and a course meaning, or when your reader needs a shared baseline. Then lean on course readings, research articles, or original documents for deeper claims.

If you cite more than one entry, space them out and keep your writing on the main point.

Final check before you submit

• You cited the entry page, not the dictionary home page.
• Your author matches what the dictionary shows.
• You used n.d. only when no year appears.
• You added a retrieval date only when the entry is undated.
• Your dictionary title is italic, and the entry title is not.
• Your in-text citation matches the author and year in the reference list.
• If you quoted words, you added a page or paragraph locator.

how to cite the dictionary in apa gets easy once you keep one habit: capture the entry page details first, then write each element in the same order each time.

Save the link or page number the moment you use the definition, not later at midnight.

how to cite the dictionary in apa is also a reminder to save the link or page number the moment you use the definition, not later at midnight.

That small step keeps your references steady across drafts and edits.