Dictionary citation generator
Cite a dictionary definition, online or in print, in any citation style. Type a word to start.
or fill in the details below
How to cite a dictionary definition
A dictionary citation takes three steps.
Step 1
Type the word
Press Enter and pick the dictionary you used, like Merriam-Webster, Cambridge, Dictionary.com or the Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries. For another dictionary, such as the APA Dictionary of Psychology, paste the entry’s link.
Step 2
Add the part of speech
MLA and Chicago give it after the word, as the dictionary shows it, like noun or verb.
Step 3
Copy your citation
Quoting one definition? Add its number, and the in-text citation names it.
How to cite a dictionary definition in APA
APA names the dictionary’s maker as the author. An online dictionary changes over time, so it gets n.d. and a retrieval date.
Online format
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Word. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL
Example
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Culture. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture
In-text citation, with a definition number
Parenthetical: (Merriam-Webster, n.d., Definition 2)
Narrative: Merriam-Webster (n.d., Definition 2)
A dated entry
American Psychological Association. (2018). Internet addiction. In APA dictionary of psychology. https://dictionary.apa.org/internet-addiction
A dated entry needs no retrieval date. This is APA’s own example.
Merriam-Webster. (2003). Litmus test. In Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary (11th ed., p. 727).
APA’s own example: the edition and page share one set of parentheses.
How to cite a dictionary definition in MLA
MLA starts with the word and its part of speech in quotation marks, then the dictionary in italics. It leaves out a publisher with the dictionary’s own name.
Format
“Word, N.” Dictionary Name, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
Merriam-Webster
“Culture, N.” Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture. Accessed 26 Sept. 2026.
Oxford English Dictionary
“Culture, N.” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, www.oed.com/dictionary/culture_n. Accessed 26 Sept. 2026.
In-text citation, with a definition number
Parenthetical: (“Culture,” def. 2)
How to cite a dictionary definition in Chicago
Chicago cites dictionaries in notes only. The 18th edition gives the word in quotation marks without s.v.
Footnote
Merriam-Webster, “culture (n.),” accessed September 26, 2026, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture.
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed. (2003), under “litmus test.”
Which dictionary should you cite?
Cite the one you actually used, and pick it with care.
General words
Merriam-Webster for American English and Cambridge or Oxford for British English are the ones instructors expect.
Subject terms
For psychology terms, the APA Dictionary of Psychology. Other fields have their own dictionaries, often through your library.
Not Google’s definitions
The box at the top of a search result isn’t a dictionary you can cite. Open a dictionary and cite that.
Frequently asked questions
How do I cite a dictionary definition in APA?
Give the dictionary’s maker as the author, n.d., the word, In and the dictionary’s name in italics, and Retrieved with the date and URL.
How do I cite Merriam-Webster in MLA?
Give the word and its part of speech in quotation marks, Merriam-Webster in italics, the URL and the date you looked it up.
Why does APA use n.d. for an online dictionary?
Online dictionaries change and don’t date their entries, so APA uses n.d. and adds the date you retrieved the definition.
How do I cite one definition of a word?
Add the definition’s number. APA writes (Merriam-Webster, n.d., Definition 2); MLA writes the word and def. 2.
Do I cite the dictionary in Chicago’s bibliography?
No. Chicago cites well-known dictionaries in notes only.
Is this dictionary citation generator free?
Yes. It’s free with no signup, and your citations go into the same list as the main Citation Generator.