Answered By: Gabe Gossett
Last Updated: Jan 03, 2020     Views: 75842

In most cases you should avoid using dictionaries and encyclopedias as cited sources in your papers. However, there may be some cases where it would be appropriate. This is how you would do it in those cases.

If you have an author for the entry use their name for the in-text citation and at the start of your reference list entry. When you don't have an author, which is often the case for these types of sources, follow the guidelines on page 176 of the APA Manual under example 6.15. There it states that “when a work has no identifiable author, cite the first few words of the reference list entry.”

Example in-text citation without an author:

The Charleston Index is one method for determining the mortality rate for patients with multiple diseases (Comorbidity, 2012).

Example reference list entry for the above in-text citation (note: also an example of an online reference source):

Comorbidity. (2012, November 24). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:50, November 27, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Comorbidity&oldid=524649802

Note: This is an example using Wikipedia, which is updated constantly. That is why there are more details than usual for the publication and retrieval date and time. For non-wiki reference works less detail is required.

Example in-text citation with an author:

Amnesty International was established in support of "prisoners of conscience" (Wong, 2012, p. 65).

Example reference list entry for the above in-text citation (note: also an example for a print source or source with a doi):

Wong, W. (2012). Amnesty International. In H. Anheier, & M. Juergensmeyer (Eds.), Encyclopedia of global studies. (pp. 65-67). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452218557.n19

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Comments (6)

  1. I am trying to figure out how to reference a word from the urban dictionary website. The word is Wifey. And is used in my assignment as follows: The other half of my rock a in d support system is a wonderful woman I call my Wifey!
    by Mistry on Jan 19, 2019
  2. Hi Mistry,

    Citing the Urban Dictionary is tricky in that the APA Manual does not give specific guidance on citing from sources where there might be multiple definitions authored by different people. One thing that is important, however, is to make sure you are clear to your reader about which entry you are citing. What I recommend in this case is using the author handle, or name, for the author. Also, since Urban Dictionary changes often it is a good idea to include a retrieved on date. In making these recommendations I am looking at the following sections 7.02 and 7.11 in the APA Manual and the APA Style Blog entry on citing Wikipedia

    So your reference list entry might follow a format of Author name OR User handle (Date). Wifey. In Urban Dictionary. Retrieved January 28, 2019, from https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Wifey
    by Gabe [Research & Writing Studio] on Jan 28, 2019
  3. Hi Gabe,

    I am trying to reference https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/well-being.

    Would this be right: Well-being. (n.d.). In English Oxford Living Dictionaries. Retrieved February 8, 2019, from https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/well-being ?

    I am not sure if 2019 can be considered the publication date.. Please advise. Thank you!
    by Shugs on Feb 08, 2019
  4. Hi Shugs,

    I think you have a pretty functional reference list entry there. I would personally lean towards using 2019 as the date since it is listed as the copyright in the footer myself. Also, while it doesn't hurt, for this source I don't think you need to have the accessed on date. In the example for this FAQ it is Wikipedia, which is often updated and therefore the access date and time helps the reader identify the information that you consulted.

    Regardsm
    Gabe
    by Gabe [Research & Writing Studio] on Feb 08, 2019
  5. Hi, I wanted to ask how then do we cite 2 different terms from the same source in APA 7?
    by Grace on Dec 12, 2021
  6. @Grace: That's a good question. Unfortunately, I don't see explicit guidance in the APA Manual on this particular question, but section 8.13 does provide some guidance that might help when citing a specific part of a source. The guidance is fairly open, stating "to cite a specific part of a source, provide an author-date citation for the work plus information about the specific part." You could use a page number, which might be the cleanest way to approach it. Otherwise, if you are clear in your narrative about which entry you are referring to, an author-date citation might suffice. The objective should be to make it clear to your reader where you are drawing your information from.
    by Gabe Gossett on Dec 14, 2021

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