How to Cite a Dictionary or Encyclopedia Entry

Online reference works change, so most styles want the date you looked the entry up. Examples for APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, IEEE, Vancouver, AMA, ACS, Nature, ASA, APSA, OSCOLA, the Bluebook and AGLC4 are below, each produced by the generator itself.

Examples in every style

APA 7th edition

References entry

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Culture. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture

In-text citation

(Merriam-Webster, n.d.)

MLA 9th edition

Works Cited entry

Merriam-Webster. “Culture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture. Accessed 28 Sept. 2026.

In-text citation

(Merriam-Webster)

Chicago 18th edition (notes and bibliography)

Bibliography entry

Merriam-Webster. “Culture.” In Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Accessed September 28, 2026. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture.

Footnote

Merriam-Webster, “Culture,” in Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, accessed September 28, 2026, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture.

Later footnotes

Merriam-Webster, “Culture.”

Chicago 18th edition (author-date)

References entry

Merriam-Webster. n.d. “Culture.” In Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Accessed September 28, 2026. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture.

In-text citation

(Merriam-Webster)

Harvard (Cite Them Right)

Reference list entry

Merriam-Webster (no date) ‘Culture’, Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Available at: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

In-text citation

(Merriam-Webster, no date)

IEEE

References entry

[1] Merriam-Webster, “Culture,” Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Accessed: Sep. 28, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture

In-text citation

[1]

Vancouver (NLM)

References entry

1. Merriam-Webster. Culture. In: Merriam-Webster.com dictionary [Internet]. [cited 2026 Sep 28]. Available from: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture

In-text citation

(1)

AMA 11th edition

References entry

1. Merriam-Webster. Culture. In: Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Accessed September 28, 2026. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture

In-text citation

1

ACS

References entry

(1) Merriam-Webster. Culture. Merriam-Webster.com dictionary.

In-text citation

1

Nature

References entry

1. Merriam-Webster. Culture. Merriam-Webster.com dictionary.

In-text citation

1

ASA 7th edition

References entry

Merriam-Webster. n.d. “Culture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary.

In-text citation

(Merriam-Webster n.d.)

APSA

Reference List entry

Merriam-Webster. “Culture.” Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture (September 28, 2026).

In-text citation

(Merriam-Webster n.d.)

MHRA 4th edition

Bibliography entry

Merriam-Webster, ‘Culture’, Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, n.d. <https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture> [accessed 28 September 2026]

Footnote

Merriam-Webster, ‘Culture’, Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, n.d. <https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture> [accessed 28 September 2026].

Later footnotes

Merriam-Webster, ‘Culture’.

OSCOLA

Bibliography entry

Merriam-Webster, ‘Culture’ <https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture> accessed 28 September 2026

Footnote

Merriam-Webster, ‘Culture’ <https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture> accessed 28 September 2026.

Later footnotes

Merriam-Webster (n 1).

Bluebook

Bibliography entry

Merriam-Webster, Culture, Merriam-Webster.com dictionary, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture (last visited Sept. 28, 2026).

Footnote

Merriam-Webster, Culture, Merriam-Webster.com dictionary, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture (last visited Sept. 28, 2026).

Later footnotes

Merriam-Webster, supra note 1.

AGLC4

Bibliography entry

Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary (online at 28 September 2026)

Footnote

Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary (online at 28 September 2026) ‘Culture’.

Later footnotes

Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary (n 1).

Style: APA 7th edition · APA guide

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Date published

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Editor
Date accessed

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    Where to find the details

    • Many online dictionaries show no date: leave it blank and the style prints n.d.

    Required in most styles: entry word or title, dictionary or encyclopedia.

    a Dictionary or Encyclopedia Entry in a specific style

    Other sources

    Questions

    Citations are formatted by citeproc-js by Frank Bennett (CPAL-1.0, or AGPL-1.0), the engine behind Zotero and Mendeley, running the official Citation Style Language styles (10,863 styles, commit 2e93558) and locales (commit a89adec), used under CC BY-SA 3.0. AGLC4 citations use the LexIntellect AGLC4 engine, checked against the Guide's worked examples. Always check a citation against the manual or your institution's guide before you submit.

    What do I need to cite a dictionary or encyclopedia entry?

    At minimum: entry word or title, dictionary or encyclopedia. Many online dictionaries show no date: leave it blank and the style prints n.d.

    Is this free?

    Yes. No account and no limit. Your bibliography is saved in this browser only, and you can export it to Word, BibTeX, RIS or CSL-JSON.