MC Library Research Guides: English Language for Academic Purposes (ELAP): Dictionaries and Thesauruses

Free Online Dictionaries

Use these reputable websites to define words, hear pronunciations, and learn synonyms.

Dictionary.com
The world's leading online source for definitions, word origins, and a whole lot more. From Word of the Day to the stories behind today's slang, Dictionary.com unlocks the secrets of the English language for millions of people.
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary
Provides pronunciation in IPA and British and American English.
Thesaurus.com
The world’s largest and most trusted free online thesaurus brought to you by Dictionary.com. For over 20 years, Thesaurus.com has been helping millions of people improve their mastery of the English language and find the precise word with over 3 million synonyms and antonyms.

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Online reference library with a wide selection of reference books. Search or browse by subject. These titles are also accessible through RaptorSearch.
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
A selected collection of encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. For a current title list of our offerings, see the List of Sources once you are in the collection. These titles are also accessible through RaptorSearch. For information on how to use e-books on Gale, please see this helpful video.
Oxford Dictionaries Online This link opens in a new window
Offers searchable, comprehensive bilingual dictionaries and unique study materials that provide extra help with learning and using an expanding range of languages. Languages covered include: Arabic, English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.
Oxford English Dictionary This link opens in a new window
Accepted authority on the evolution of the English language over the last millennium. It is an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of over half a million words, both present and past. It traces the usage of words through 2.5 million quotations from a wide range of international English language sources, from classic literature and specialist periodicals to film scripts and cookery books.