online dictionary

American

[on-lahyn dik-shuh-ner-ee, awn-lahyn] / ˈɒnˌlaɪn ˈdɪk ʃəˌnɛr i, ˈɔnˌlaɪn /

noun

plural

online dictionaries

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.

Etymology

Origin of online dictionary

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The word “Babbitt” came to signify a “materialistic, complacent, and conformist businessman,” as one online dictionary defines it.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2023

Merriam-Webster added the word to its online dictionary in September and it’s been among the top lookups since, Sokolowski said.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 26, 2023

In 2013, Oxford Dictionaries added “selfie” to its online dictionary and designated it the Word of the Year.

From New York Times • Jun. 23, 2022

I’ll take any meaning or pronunciation that you find in an online dictionary.

From Washington Post • Jul. 15, 2021

Since then, the website has offered a quarterly update of the online dictionary, with around 1,000 new or revised entries each time.

From Booknology: The eBook (1971-2010) by Lebert, Marie

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023