How to cite a dictionary in APA Style

This article reflects the APA 7th edition guidelines. Click here for APA 6th edition guidelines.

To cite a dictionary definition in APA Style, start with the author of the dictionary (usually an organization), followed by the publication year, the word you’re citing, the dictionary name, the publisher (if not already listed as author), and the URL.

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How to cite an online dictionary entry

Online dictionaries tend to be continuously updated, so you usually won’t have a specific publication date. In this case, write “n.d.” (no date) in place of the year and include a retrieval date:

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Citation. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved October 21, 2020, from https://​www.merriam-webster.com/​dictionary/​citation

How to cite a print dictionary

Citing from a print dictionary differs in that you’ll always be using a specific edition with a publication date, so this information should appear in your citation. Do not list the publisher a second time if it is already listed in the author position.

APA format Publisher Name. (Year). Entry name. In Dictionary name (Edition, p. Page number). Publisher.
APA reference entry HarperCollins. (2019). Rehabilitate. In Collins English dictionary (8th ed., p. 672).
APA in-text citation (HarperCollins, 2019)

Print dictionaries still don’t usually list authors, although in some specialist dictionaries an author may be listed. If an author for the individual entry is listed, list them in the author position instead of the publisher, and do include the publisher at the end.

Sources in this article

We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.

This Scribbr article

Caulfield, J. (June 16, 2022). How to cite a dictionary in APA Style. Scribbr. Retrieved October 17, 2022, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-examples/dictionary/

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Jack Caulfield

Jack is a Brit based in Amsterdam, with an MA in comparative literature. He writes for Scribbr and reads a lot of books in his spare time.