Online Dictionaries
Online dictionaries are as diverse in topic, purpose, and style as their print counterparts. Ranging from free, digitalized versions of familiar print dictionaries such as Merriam-Webster’s, to user-built Web 2.0 slang dictionaries such as Urban Dictionary, online dictionaries are both prolific in number and popular with the general public. Here is a selection of some of the many dictionaries available in digital formats: 
- Public-Access Reference Dictionaries
- Specialized Dictionaries
- Translation Dictionaries
- Web 2.0 Dictionaries
- Subscription Dictionaries
Public-Access Reference Dictionaries
These dictionaries provide standard word lists free of charge for the general public. They are accessible through Google or other search engines, and often include “bonus features” (such as forums or games) in addition to definitions.
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary is an abridged version of the 11th Edition of the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Like the print version, it includes a standard word list, along with abbreviations, geographical names, foreign words, bibliographical names, 1000 illustrations, and 25 tables. However, unlike the print version, it does not include a signs and symbols section, as the characters cannot be reproduced in HTML. A subscription-based, unabridged version is also available for a monthly fee.
Owned by LoveToKnow Corporation, YourDictionary.com makes use of thousands of dictionaries and grammars in over 300 languages. In addition to dictionary services, it offers reference articles, games, and a forum for discussing language issues.
An Ask.com service, Dictionary.com offers definitions, audio pronunciations, and synonyms. It also offers mobile applications for iPhone and BlackBerry, and API data services.
Specialized Dictionaries
These dictionaries deal with specialized terminology that might be difficult to find in standard dictionaries. They are usually free for public use.
Webopedia is a free online dictionary for computer and Internet terminology. Editors collect words from technology companies, technical publications, professionals, and universities, and develop definitions in plain, jargon-free English for the general public. While editors do accept suggestions from site users, Webopeida is not a Web 2.0 dictionary.
Dolmetsch Online Music Dictionary
Run by the Dolmetsch Organisation, the Online Music Dictionary provides definitions (and at times translations) of music terminology in a searchable public database.
Translation Dictionaries
These dictionaries provide definitions and translations. They are usually public access, and they often include multiple languages on one site.
Word Reference provides a series of online translation dictionaries including English/French, English/Spanish, and English/Russian. It also offers a mobile version, forums, and miniature version that can be embedded in personal websites.
Look Way Up is a product of RES Inc., an education, computational linguistics, commerce, and Internet firm. It offers free multilingual translations and definitions for individuals, and a licensed version for businesses and organizations.
Web 2.0 Dictionaries
Web 2.0 dictionaries are built collaboratively by website users who add and edit terms. While they often include standard word lists, they are better known for their lively lists of vernacular.
Owned and operated by the Wikimedia Foundation, Wiktionary is a multilingual, Web 2.0 dictionary and thesaurus. It is created and edited collaboratively by users.
Started in 2001 by a group of students, The Unword Dictionary allows individuals to submit terms that have been created “to describe things that aren’t associated with a term in the English language, or to describe them with a term that is better suited, or to describe things for which they didn’t know the real term.”
The Urban Dictionary is a Web 2.0 dictionary that primarily lists slang terms. Like The Unword Dictionary, it often includes words that are not listed in standard dictionaries.
Subscription Dictionaries
These dictionaries are unabridged, subscription-only references, which are often used by organizations and educational institutions. While they are in digital formats, unlike most online dictionaries, they are not public access.
Oxford Reference Online Premium
The Oxford Reference Online Premium “brings together language and subject reference works from one of the world’s biggest and most trusted reference publishers into a single cross-searchable resource.” It is often used by universities and other institutions.
Dictionary of the English Language [Click icon on desktop]
This CD-ROM database contains the complete text of Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary, including both the 1st edition (1755) and the 4th edition (1773). Also included are digital images of all original pages of both editions. The database software enables browsing as well as side-by-side comparison of the two editions.
Last Updated: 27 May 2010