Dictionary Citation Generator
Cite a dictionary entry, online or in print. Enter the word, the dictionary's name, the publisher, the URL and your retrieval date, and get the reference and in-text citation in APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago 18 and 10,834 other styles, with APA's n.d. and retrieval-date rule applied. Free, no sign-up.
How to Use the Dictionary Citation Generator
- 1. Type the word. Put the headword in the Title box exactly as the dictionary prints it, and the dictionary's name in Journal / Publication, for example Merriam-Webster.com dictionary.
- 2. Name the publisher as the author. For a dictionary APA treats the company that makes it as a group author, so type Merriam-Webster or Oxford University Press in Author(s). In MLA and Chicago the entry is cited by its word.
- 3. Add the URL, then the retrieval date. Online dictionaries change, so generate the citation, click Complete and add the date you looked. A print dictionary needs the year and edition, not a URL.
- 4. Pick a style and copy. Choose APA, MLA, Chicago or any of the 10,834 styles. The in-text citation appears under the reference.
Online vs Print Dictionaries
| Online (Merriam-Webster.com, OED Online) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Author in APA | The company, as a group author | The company, as a group author |
| Date | n.d. in APA, or the page's update date | The year of the edition |
| Retrieval date | Yes in APA when the entry is undated, optional in MLA, accessed in a Chicago note | None |
| URL | Yes | None |
| Edition | Rarely | In the dictionary's title: 11th ed. |
| Entry | The word, plus the sense number if you cite one meaning | The word |
Dictionaries are among the sources Chicago cites in notes rather than in the bibliography, and the generator may leave its Chicago bibliography line empty.
Dictionary Citation Examples
The Merriam-Webster.com entry for ephemeral, read on 17 October 2026.
APA 7th edition
Reference list:
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Ephemeral. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ephemeral
In-text (parenthetical):
(Merriam-Webster, n.d.)
In-text (narrative):
Merriam-Webster (n.d.)
MLA 9th edition
Works Cited:
“Ephemeral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ephemeral. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.
In-text citation:
(“Ephemeral”)
Chicago 18th edition (note)
Footnote:
Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, “ephemeral,” accessed October 17, 2026, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ephemeral.
A print dictionary: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition (2003).
Print entry
APA 7:
Merriam-Webster. (2003). Ephemeral. In Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary (11th ed.).
MLA 9:
“Ephemeral.” Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed., Merriam-Webster, 2003.
Chicago 18 note:
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed. (Merriam-Webster, 2003), under “ephemeral.”
The generator capitalizes a name like Merriam-Webster.com in MLA title case as Merriam-Webster.Com, and it puts the group author at the front of a Chicago note. Correct both by hand: the site name keeps its lower-case com, and a Chicago note begins with the dictionary's name.
Common Mistakes
- Listing yourself or the website as the author. In APA the company that publishes the dictionary is the author; in MLA and Chicago the entry title leads.
- Using the date of the page as the year. Online dictionaries are updated constantly. Use n.d. and a retrieval date unless the page states an update date.
- Citing the word you looked up as a definition you wrote. If you paraphrase the definition, cite it; if you quote, use quotation marks.
- Forgetting the sense. If you cite one meaning of a word with many, name it: MLA suggests the definition number, as in (“Lock,” def. 2).
Which Tool Do You Need?
| You have | Use |
|---|---|
| A word and its meaning in a dictionary | This page |
| An article in an encyclopedia, Wikipedia or Britannica | Encyclopedia Citation Generator |
| A page on a website | Website Citation Generator |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I cite a Merriam-Webster.com dictionary entry in APA 7?
- Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Word. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from the URL. The company is the author, n.d. replaces the date and the retrieval date is added because the entry can change. In text: (Merriam-Webster, n.d.).
- How do I cite a dictionary in MLA 9?
- Start with the word in quotation marks, then the dictionary in italics, the URL without https:// and an access date: “Ephemeral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ephemeral. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026. In text, use the word in quotation marks.
- Do I need a retrieval date when citing an online dictionary?
- APA asks for one when the entry is not archived and has no date, which is the case for most online dictionaries. MLA treats the access date as optional but useful. Chicago puts accessed and the date in the note when the page shows no update date.
- How do I cite a print dictionary entry?
- Give the dictionary's edition and year and leave out the URL and the retrieval date. APA: Merriam-Webster. (2003). Ephemeral. In Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary (11th ed.). MLA lists the word, the dictionary, the edition, the publisher and the year.
- Who is the author of a dictionary entry?
- The dictionary's publisher, as a group author in APA. If the entry is signed, as in some specialist dictionaries, use the author and the editors instead. MLA and Chicago begin with the word.
- Which citation styles does the dictionary generator support?
- APA 7, MLA 9 and Chicago 18 at the top of the list, plus any of the other 10,834 styles. Switch the style and the same details are reformatted.
Related Tools
How to cite a Dictionary Entry in each style
Format rules, templates, and worked examples for the styles most often required.