Read Guidelines

Overview & Purpose

The Dictionary platform provides authoritative definitions, pronunciations, etymologies, and linguistic data to millions of users worldwide. These guidelines ensure consistent, ethical, and high-quality usage of our content and services.

Whether you're an individual learner, educator, developer, or enterprise partner, adhering to these standards helps maintain accuracy, respect intellectual property, and foster an inclusive language ecosystem.

📌 Note These guidelines apply to all public and API-accessed content. Enterprise clients may have custom agreements that supersede specific sections.

Content Usage

Dictionary's lexical data is curated by linguists, edited for accuracy, and regularly updated. Proper usage ensures consistency and preserves the integrity of our research.

Do

Use definitions and examples in educational, research, and personal learning contexts.
Reference phonetic transcriptions using standard IPA notation.
Quote examples in academic papers with proper citation.
Cache API responses for offline use within your application's 24-hour window.

Don't

Republish bulk definitions as standalone dictionaries without permission.
Modify etymological attributions or historical usage dates.
Remove source markers or watermark definitions.
Use content to train commercial AI models without explicit licensing.

Attribution Rules

When using Dictionary content publicly, proper attribution is required. Use the following format:

Definition sourced from Dictionary (dictionary.com). © 2025 Dictionary Inc. All rights reserved.

Use Case	Required Attribution
Web/Mobile App	Footer or settings page with link
Print/Materials	Credits page or endnotes
API Response	Included automatically in metadata
Academic Publication	Standard citation format + DOI

API & Integrations

The Dictionary REST API provides programmatic access to lexical data. Integrations must follow technical and ethical standards.

Authentication

All requests require a valid API key passed via the Authorization: Bearer <key> header. Keys are scoped by environment and feature tier.

Request Format

GET /v3/words/ephemeral?fields=definitions,pronunciations,synonyms&lang=en

⚠️ Important Never expose API keys in client-side code, public repositories, or browser-accessible endpoints. Use server-side proxies or environment variables.

Rate Limits

To ensure platform stability and fair usage, API requests are throttled based on your subscription tier:

Free: 60 requests/minute, 1,000/day
Pro: 300 requests/minute, 50,000/day
Enterprise: Custom limits (dedicated instance available)

Exceeding limits returns 429 Too Many Requests. Implement exponential backoff and respect Retry-After headers.

Accessibility & Inclusion

Language is diverse. Dictionary is committed to representing dialects, regional variations, and underrepresented linguistic communities.

All content must be screen-reader compatible and follow WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
Phonetic data includes multiple regional pronunciations where applicable.
Avoid prescriptive language that marginalizes non-standard dialects.
Report bias or exclusionary content via our feedback portal.

✅ Commitment We regularly audit content with advisory boards from linguistics, education, and cultural preservation organizations.

Prohibited Uses

The following uses violate our terms and may result in immediate account suspension or legal action:

Scraping or bypassing API rate limits
Reselling Dictionary data as a standalone product
Generating harmful, discriminatory, or misleading linguistic content
Using platform infrastructure for spam, phishing, or automated abuse
Attempting to reverse-engineer proprietary algorithms or etymology models

Feedback & Reporting

We rely on our community to maintain accuracy. If you notice outdated definitions, missing dialects, or technical issues:

Content errors: Use the "Report an Issue" button on any word page
API bugs: Open a ticket at support.dictionary.com/api
Feature requests: Submit via our public roadmap portal
Urgent security issues: Email security@dictionary.com

Our linguistics and engineering teams review all submissions within 3 business days.

Updates & Versioning

Dictionary follows semantic versioning for API and content releases:

v3.2.1 (Current): Bug fixes, pronunciation audio updates
v3.2.0: Added regional dialect tags, improved synonym clustering
v3.1.x: Deprecated legacy_json format, migrated to OpenAPI 3.0

We provide 12 months notice before deprecating major versions. Subscribe to our changelog for release notes.