How to cite OED Online

The Dictionary text online is formed from a mixture of entries from the Oxford English Dictionary Second Edition (1989), the Additions Series volumes of 1993 and 1997, and entries not previously published in print, which are being created as part of an ongoing process to transform the text into a fully revised new edition.

These entries form a single sequence in which revised entries replace their earlier counterparts. There are also brand new entries, and partial entries which are appended to their parent entries, with which they will eventually be incorporated as part of the revision process. The earlier 1989 versions of revised entries may also be viewed for comparison in a pop-up window, and the entire 1989 text is separately searchable via the Advanced Search page.

The citation styles recommended for bibliographical references to all OED Online entries take account of which part of this composite text the entry belongs to, and its date of print publication or of current online draft publication. This information can be found at the top right-hand corner of free-standing entries, or above the display of appended entries. The date on which the entry was accessed is also given, immediately before the URL.

Revised and new entries may from time to time be emended and re-released in improved versions. Substantive editorial changes will result in a new text date, while non-substantive adjustments will not. Should an earlier, archived version of an entry be required for reference purposes, this can be supplied on request.

References to entries for a works-cited list

The styles below aim to follow MLA guidelines. For reference in footnote or endnote form, the full-stops dividing sections should be replaced by commas.

Second Edition, 1989

"plough, n.²" The Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. 1989. OED Online. Oxford University Press. 4 Apr. 2000 <http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/00181778>.

Additions Series

References to entries from the OED Additions Series should take the same form whether they are free-standing entries, or whether they are appended partial entries.

Additions Series 1993

"unseasonal, a." Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series. 1993. OED Online. Oxford University Press. 15 Mar. 2000 <http://ed2.oed.com/cgi/entry/00296087>.

Additions Series 1997

"lay-away, n." Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series. 1997. OED Online. Oxford University Press. 23 Mar. 2000 <http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/00130764>.

Draft entries

References to all revised and new material, whether identified as draft entries, draft revisions, or draft additions, should simply be identified by its displayed date of online publication in this style:

"magazine, n." OED Online. June 2003. Oxford University Press. 10 Dec. 2004 <http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/00299371>.