online dictionary

[ on-lahyn dik-shuh-ner-ee, awn-lahyn ]

noun

, plural on·line dic·tion·ar·ies.

1. a dictionary that is available on the internet. Online dictionaries like Dictionary.com offer immediate, direct access through large databases to a word's spelling and meanings, plus a host of ancillary information, including its variant spellings, pronunciation, inflected forms, origin, and derived forms, as well as supplementary notes about how the word is used.

Word History and Origins

Origin of online dictionary¹

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

I truly can’t fathom why Merriam-Webster doesn’t want to tell the world which 455 words and meanings it’s added to its online dictionary since January — only that there are 455 of them.

From Washington Post

According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, “Redskin” is labeled “usually offensive.”

From The Daily Beast