On this page
Updated . Example details checked against merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture (also the APA Style example for a dictionary entry).
The APA format
Pattern
Publisher. (n.d.). Word. In Name of dictionary. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL
- Group author: the company or body behind the dictionary, such as Merriam-Webster or the American Psychological Association for the APA Dictionary of Psychology.
- (n.d.) because online entries are updated without a date (APA 7, 10.3).
- Dictionary in italics and sentence case: Merriam-Webster.com dictionary.
- Retrieval date before the URL, since the entry is designed to change.
Citing it in your sentence
Name the dictionary as the author and say which sense you mean: Merriam-Webster (n.d.) gives several senses of culture; the one this paper uses is the shared beliefs and customs of a group. Quote the definition only when its exact wording matters to your point.
A real example
Reference entry
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Culture. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture
In-text citation
(Merriam-Webster, n.d.)
When details are missing
- An entry with a date (some dictionaries show one): give it in place of n.d. and leave out the retrieval date.
- A print dictionary: the year of the edition in place of n.d., the edition and page in parentheses after the dictionary’s name, and no retrieval date or URL.
The rules for a missing author, date or page in every style are in no author, date or page.
Common mistakes
- Starting with the word. When the dictionary’s publisher is named, it comes first as the author.
- Leaving out “In.” An entry is part of a larger work; “In” introduces it.
- A year for an undated entry. Use (n.d.) and the retrieval date.
Or let Format do it.
Choose Encyclopedia or dictionary entry and fill in the word, the dictionary, the link and the day you looked it up. Format writes the References entry and the in-text citation in APA 7, exactly as shown above, and builds the References page when you export to Word or PDF. MLA and APA are free.
Questions
How do I cite the APA Dictionary of Psychology?
The same way: American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Word. In APA dictionary of psychology. Retrieved date, from URL.
Do I need a reference for a word I looked up but did not quote?
No. Cite the dictionary only when you quote or paraphrase its definition.
More citation guides
The same source in other styles
Similar sources in APA
Every source kind is on the APA page, and every style is on How to cite.