Citing a reference is important and citing one correctly just as crucial, whether the source is a print dictionary or an electronic dictionary. As a writer, whether writing a research paper or compiling an article, your audience deserves to know precisely where your draw the definition of certain terms and how you interpret those definition. Furthermore, as a writer, the authors of the dictionaries you quote deserve recognition for their original work. Citing references increases the strength of your research and can help establish the originality of the ideas you're seeking to put forth. Citing a reference from an electronic dictionary is quite similar among all accepted writing styles, including APA and MLA, with only slight variations.
Instructions
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1
Type the "headword" of the entry and enclose it in quotation marks with a period. For example, "range."
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2
Write the title of your source next to it in italics. For example, your source is the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary written in italics.
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3
Cite the date of publication or version of the online dictionary in regular typeface with a period following the date (2008.). Do not include quotation marks.
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Write out the full URL of the particular dictionary entry as such: http://www.youronline dictionary.com/filename. Make sure you include the full filename.
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Enclose, in parenthesis, the actual date you accessed the document. For example: (07 June 2010). End the date with a period outside the parenthesis.