How-to · Step-by-step
How to cite a dictionary or encyclopedia
Citing a dictionary or encyclopedia entry means recording the entry term, the reference work, its publisher or editor, and the year or retrieval URL.
The step most authors miss
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Step by step
How to do it
1.Record the entry term
Note the exact headword or entry you are citing — it acts as the title of the specific piece within the reference work.
2.Identify the reference work
Record the full title of the dictionary or encyclopedia and, if given, its editor or the publishing organisation.
3.Note the edition or year
For a print work, record the edition and year. For an online work that updates continuously, you may need a retrieval date instead of a fixed year.
4.Copy the URL for online entries
For an online dictionary or encyclopedia, copy the direct URL to the entry, not just the homepage.
5.Assemble the entry
Treat the entry term as the source and the reference work as its container, then apply your style’s punctuation and date rules.
APA 7th edition
Format (continuously updated online work): Publisher. (n.d.). Entry term. In Title of reference work. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL — Worked example: Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Citation. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved March 14, 2021, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/citation In-text: (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). Use "(n.d.)" and a retrieval date when the entry has no fixed publication date and may change.
MLA 9th edition
Format: "Entry Term." Title of Reference Work, Publisher, Year, URL. — Worked example: "Citation." Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, 2021, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/citation. In-text: ("Citation"). The entry term is in quotation marks and the reference work is italicised as its container; give the URL for an online entry.
Chicago 17th edition (notes–bibliography)
Well-known reference works are often cited in a note only, using the abbreviation s.v. ("sub verbo", under the word): 1. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, s.v. "citation," accessed March 14, 2021, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/citation. A signed encyclopedia article with a named author may instead be cited and listed like a chapter in an edited work.
Common questions
FAQ
Do I cite the whole dictionary or the single entry?+
Cite the specific entry you used, treating the entry term as the title and the reference work as its container. The single entry is the source; citing the whole dictionary would be too broad to point a reader to the exact definition you relied on.
Why does APA use a retrieval date here?+
Online dictionaries and encyclopedias often update entries without changing a publication date, so the content can shift over time. APA adds "(n.d.)" and a retrieval date for such continuously updated works so a reader knows which version you saw. A stable, dated entry does not need a retrieval date.
What does "s.v." mean in a Chicago note?+
It is the abbreviation of the Latin sub verbo, "under the word". Chicago uses it to point to an alphabetical entry in a reference work — "s.v. 'citation'" tells the reader to look under that headword. It is a neat way to cite well-known dictionaries and encyclopedias in a note.
Going deeper
