Dictionary API Reference

RESTful API for accessing comprehensive word definitions, phonetics, synonyms, and multilingual translations. Base URL: https://api.dictionary.com/v2

ℹ️ Authentication Required

All endpoints require a valid API key passed via the Authorization header or X-Dictionary-Key query parameter.

Authentication

Dictionary API uses Bearer token authentication. Include your API key in every request.

Request Header Authorization: Bearer your_api_key_here

Alternatively, pass it as a query parameter for server-to-server requests:

Query Parameter https://api.dictionary.com/v2/search?q=hello&api_key=your_api_key_here

Rate Limits

Plan	Requests/Minute	Requests/Day	Burst
Free	30	1,000	10
Pro	300	50,000	50
Enterprise	Custom	Unlimited	Custom

Exceeding limits returns 429 Too Many Requests. Include Retry-After header in responses.

Search Words

GET /search Find words matching a query

Query Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
q *	string	Search query (partial matches supported)
limit	integer	Max results (default: 10, max: 50)
lang	string	ISO 639-1 language code (default: en)
fields	string	Comma-separated: definition,phonetics,synonyms

Example Request

cURL

curl -X GET "https://api.dictionary.com/v2/search?q=ephemeral&limit=5" \\
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_..."

Response (200 OK)

JSON

{
  "results": [
    {
      "word": "ephemeral",
      "phonetics": [{"text": "/əˈfem.ər.əl/", "audio": "https://audio.dict.com/ef_8921.mp3"}],
      "meanings": [{"partOfSpeech": "adjective", "definitions": [{"definition": "Lasting for a very short time."}]}],
      "synonyms": ["fleeting", "transient", "momentary"],
      "source": "dictionary-com"
    }
  ],
  "total": 1,
  "query": "ephemeral"
}

Get Word Definition

GET /definitions/:word Retrieve full details for a specific word

Path Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
word *	string	Exact word to look up (URL-encoded)

Response (200 OK)

JSON

{
  "word": "dictionary",
  "phonetics": [
    {"text": "/ˈdɪk.ʃən.er.i/", "audio": "https://audio.dict.com/dic_1024.mp3"}
  ],
  "origin": "Late Middle English: from medieval Latin dictionarium, from late Latin dictio(n-), from Latin dicere 'say'.",
  "meanings": [
    {
      "partOfSpeech": "noun",
      "definitions": [
        {"definition": "A book or electronic resource that lists the words of a language and gives their meaning.", "example": "The word isn't in the dictionary."},
        {"definition": "A comprehensive reference work containing information on a particular subject."}
      ],
      "synonyms": ["thesaurus", "lexicon", "glossary", "encyclopedia"],
      "antonyms": []
    }
  ],
  "license": "ODC By 1.0",
  "source": "dictionary-com"
}

Translate Word

POST /translations Translate a word to another language

Request Body

Field	Type	Description
text *	string	Word or phrase to translate
target_lang *	string	Target ISO 639-1 code
source_lang	string	Source ISO 639-1 code (auto-detected if omitted)

Example Request

JavaScript (fetch)

fetch('https://api.dictionary.com/v2/translations', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': 'Bearer sk_live_...',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    text: 'hello',
    target_lang: 'es',
    source_lang: 'en'
  })
})
.then(res => res.json())
.then(console.log);

Response (200 OK)

JSON

{
  "original": "hello",
  "translation": "hola",
  "source_language": "en",
  "target_language": "es",
  "alternatives": ["buenos días", "saludos", "ola"],
  "confidence": 0.98
}

Error Codes

The Dictionary API uses standard HTTP status codes. Error responses include a JSON body with details.

400 Bad Request - Invalid parameters or malformed JSON 401 Unauthorized - Missing or invalid API key 403 Forbidden - API key disabled or insufficient permissions 404 Not Found - Word not found in dictionary 429 Too Many Requests - Rate limit exceeded 500 Internal Server Error - Unexpected API failure

Error Response Format

{
  "error": {
    "code": 401,
    "message": "Invalid API key provided",
    "type": "authentication_error",
    "documentation_url": "https://docs.dictionary.com/errors#401"
  }
}