FAQs

General Questions

What is Oxford Dictionaries Online?

Oxford Dictionaries Online is Oxford’s innovative dictionary and language reference service. A free dictionary (which includes a comprehensive current English dictionary, as well as up-to-date bilingual dictionaries in French, German, Italian, and Spanish) is available on the site for anyone to use; but subscribers to our premium current English dictionary site, Oxford Dictionaries Pro, get access to a wide range of extras:

smart-linked, fully searchable content from Oxford’s largest modern English dictionaries and thesauruses
more than 350,000 definitions and 600,000 synonyms and antonyms
a vast bank of over 1.9 million example sentences, taken from real English
‘My Oxford Dictionary’ feature for creating your own profile and saving entries and searches
comprehensive coverage of British, US, and World English - with audio pronunciations
extensive sections with detailed writing, grammar, and spelling guidance
specialist language reference resources for professional writers and editors

Find out what you can do with Oxford Dictionaries Pro

How often is the site updated?

Oxford Dictionaries Online and Oxford Dictionaries Pro are updated quarterly, including some or all of the following: new words and senses, special features on language change, revised encyclopedic entries, and improved functionality.

To find out about planned changes, visit our what’s new section.

What is the difference between the US and World versions of the site?

The US version follows US English writing and spelling conventions, and features content tailored for countries that follow US English conventions
The World version of the site is based on British English writing and spelling conventions
Both versions of the site, however, feature exceptional coverage of English around the world, including British, Australian, Scottish, Irish, Indian, South African, US, and Canadian English – with each regional usage clearly labelled

You can choose whether you want to use the US or World version of the site. When you create your ‘My Oxford Dictionary’ profile (available to subscribers) the site will remember your preference, but you can still switch manually from the home page if you need to.

There is also a US and World version of our Word of the Day. The US version features US spelling and pronunciation, and the World version features British spelling and pronunciation. You can access either version on the home page of the site and switch between US and World version to hear the difference in pronunciation, and sign up for either version from the home page.

Which resources were used to create Oxford Dictionaries Pro?

Below is a list of the resources on which the content of Oxford Dictionaries Pro is based. Many specially commissioned materials and articles are also included on the site, but not listed below. The premium site also includes 1.9 million sentences selected from the Oxford English Corpus.

World version of the site

Main dictionary and thesaurus content:
Oxford Dictionary of English (Third Edition)

Oxford Thesaurus of English (Third Edition)

Writing skills:
Oxford A-Z of Better Spelling (Second Edition)

Oxford A-Z of Usage

Oxford A-Z of Grammar and Punctuation (Second Edition)

For writers and editors:
New Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors

Pocket Fowler’s Modern English Usage (Second Edition)

New Hart’s Rules

New Oxford Dictionary for Scientific Writers and Editors

US version of the site
Main dictionary and thesaurus content:
New Oxford American Dictionary (Third Edition)
Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus (Second Edition)

Writing skills:
Oxford A-Z of Better Spelling (US online version)

Oxford A-Z of Grammar and Punctuation (Second Edition) (US online version)

For writers and editors:
New Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors Garner’s Modern American Usage (Third Edition)

New Hart’s Rules (US online version)

New Oxford Dictionary for Scientific Writers and Editors

Do I have to subscribe to the site to get Word of the Day?

No, you can access the Word of the Day feature, and have the Word of the Day sent to you by email, without subscribing to the site.

How do I submit a comment or correction?

You may contact us to submit your comments. When sending a comment about a specific entry, please provide as much detail as possible and include the URL of the page being referred to by copying and pasting the URL from your browser's address box into your message. Comments will be reviewed by our editorial staff.

I can't get the audio pronunciations to work

Audio is only available to subscribers to Oxford Dictionaries Pro. If you are a subscriber, please see here in the Help file for a step-by-step troubleshooting guide.

The text is too small or hard to read

To increase or decrease the size of the text on your screen, hold down Ctrl while scrolling your mouse wheel, or select View and then Text size from your menu bar.

Subscription Questions

How do I subscribe to Oxford Dictionaries Pro?

Annual subscriptions are available for schools, libraries, organizations, and individuals. See how to subscribe for more information.

Is it possible to have a free trial?

Free 30-day trials are available to libraries and institutions considering a subscription. If you are an individual and would like to try out the site, find out if your library or organization already subscribes or would be interested in a free trial.

Are discounts available to consortia and consortia members?

Special pricing is available for library consortia. For further details, please contact us.

Is Oxford Dictionaries Pro available for perpetual access purchase?

Oxford Dictionaries Pro is not available for purchase on a perpetual access basis.

Are there any resources for librarians to promote the site to end-users?

We have a range of resources to help librarians in subscribing institutions promote the site. Click here for downloadable posters, flyers, logos, toolbars, and more.

Access Questions

I cannot access Oxford Dictionaries Pro

Library administrators

Are you looking for Oxford Dictionaries Pro with its thesaurus, example sentences, and section for writers and editors? Click here to be taken to Oxford Dictionaries Pro.
Not a subscriber? Find out how to subscribe.

Please verify that you have submitted your library's signed subscriber agreement to OUP. All new subscriptions require a signed license agreement on file that has been verified prior to activating service.
Please verify that OUP has your library's most current IP address information on file. Administrators may verify account details from Subscriber Services. You will need an administrative login. If you have lost or forgotten your administrative password, you can also update or change this information from Subscriber Services.
If your library's IP information has been changed, please contact us to report the new address(es) or to update IP information currently registered.
Your library's access may have expired or been placed on hold if OUP has not received your subscription payment or if your free trial has expired. It is customary for OUP to contact subscribers before a renewal/anniversary date or trial expiration. For further assistance, please contact us.

Individual subscribers

You may have entered an incorrect username or password or no longer have an active subscription. Please contact us.

Is remote access available?

Remote or off-site access is available to all institutional subscribers at no additional cost. For further assistance setting up remote access, please contact us.

Is library card access available?

Libraries have the option to allow patrons to access the site using their library barcode. Please have your librarian or administrator contact us for further details on setting up library card access.

Is Athens access available?

Yes

Is Shibboleth access available?

Yes

I have forgotten my username and password

If you are using access information provided by your library, please contact your school's librarian or administrator for library access information. For other cases, please visit Subscriber Services. Your administrative login will be required. If you have lost or forgotten your administrative login, please contact us.

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