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

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

From Los Angeles Times

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

The online dictionary WordNet defines it as “basically shredded cabbage.”

From Seattle Times

“All of these are words that have already been vetted and defined and added to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, and now we’ve determined they’re playable in Scrabble,” Sokolowski said.

From Seattle Times

Two dictionaries I use are the built-in Apple dictionary, which is based on New Oxford American, and Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary.

From New York Times