APA 6 Dictionary Entry Citation Generator
Citing a dictionary entry (lexicographical reference entry) under the American Psychological Association (6th Edition) framework requires combining APA 6 (American Psychological Association)'s punctuation hierarchy with the specific metadata of the source. To construct a compliant entry, researchers must collect the dictionary publisher or editor, publication or update year (or n.d.), the exact headword/term looked up, dictionary title, and URL or edition. In the body of your paper, APA 6 (American Psychological Association) utilizes author-date parentheticals (Author, Year, p. X) listing up to 5 authors on first mention before using et al., which links directly to an entry organized in alphabetical order by the first author surname, then chronological by publication year.
When formatting a dictionary entry in APA 6 (American Psychological Association), pay close attention to contributor names and capitalization. Specifically, APA 6 (American Psychological Association) enforces surname and initials separated by commas with an ampersand (&) before the final author (up to 7 authors listed in the reference list), and applies sentence case for work titles where only the first word, first word after a colon, and proper nouns are capitalized. Unlike APA 7, APA 6th edition requires the publisher city and state/country abbreviation (e.g., New York, NY: Publisher) for print books and retains "Retrieved from" before standard URLs. Furthermore, if your dictionary entry does not display an individual creator, the rule is straightforward: because most dictionary entries are unsigned, credit the corporate dictionary publisher (e.g., Merriam-Webster) or start with the defined word in quotes.
For digital and online dictionary entry references, APA 6 (American Psychological Association) stipulates prefacing online links with the phrase "Retrieved from" and using the legacy "doi:10.xxxx" or http://dx.doi.org/ format. If citing a specific numbered definition among several parts of speech, specify the definition number (e.g., def. 2a) in your in-text locator. Using the client-side APA 6 (American Psychological Association) Dictionary Entry generator below, you can automatically parse URLs, DOIs, or ISBNs and apply these exact Citation Style Language (CSL) rules locally in your browser with zero server tracking.
Live APA 6 (American Psychological Association) Example
Critical Errors to Avoid
- Source-Specific Pitfall: Failing to include an access/retrieval date for online dictionary entries that are continuously updated without archived version history.
- Title & Author Formatting: Failing to apply APA 6 (American Psychological Association)'s requirement of sentence case for work titles where only the first word, first word after a colon, and proper nouns are capitalized, or violating the contributor rule (surname and initials separated by commas with an ampersand (&) before the final author (up to 7 authors listed in the reference list)).
- Locator & Sorting Mismatch: Ordering the bibliography incorrectly instead of using alphabetical order by the first author surname, then chronological by publication year, or neglecting APA 6 (American Psychological Association)'s link rule for a dictionary entry (prefacing online links with the phrase "Retrieved from" and using the legacy "doi:10.xxxx" or http://dx.doi.org/ format).
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Frequently Asked Questions
What information do I need to cite a dictionary entry in APA 6 (American Psychological Association)?
To cite a dictionary entry according to American Psychological Association (6th Edition) standards, you need the dictionary publisher or editor, publication or update year (or n.d.), the exact headword/term looked up, dictionary title, and URL or edition. Our generator formats these elements using sentence case for work titles where only the first word, first word after a colon, and proper nouns are capitalized.
How do I cite a dictionary entry with no author in APA 6 (American Psychological Association)?
When a dictionary entry has no named individual author, because most dictionary entries are unsigned, credit the corporate dictionary publisher (e.g., Merriam-Webster) or start with the defined word in quotes. The APA 6 (American Psychological Association) engine automatically adjusts both the full reference entry and the in-text citation (author-date parentheticals (Author, Year, p. X) listing up to 5 authors on first mention before using et al.) when the author field is left blank.
How are in-text citations formatted for a dictionary entry in APA 6 (American Psychological Association)?
In APA 6 (American Psychological Association), in-text references use author-date parentheticals (Author, Year, p. X) listing up to 5 authors on first mention before using et al.. In the final reference list, your dictionary entry entries must be arranged in alphabetical order by the first author surname, then chronological by publication year.
Do I need to include a URL or access date for an online dictionary entry in APA 6 (American Psychological Association)?
Under American Psychological Association (6th Edition) guidelines, online dictionary entry citations follow prefacing online links with the phrase "Retrieved from" and using the legacy "doi:10.xxxx" or http://dx.doi.org/ format. If citing a specific numbered definition among several parts of speech, specify the definition number (e.g., def. 2a) in your in-text locator.