APA Referencing

When formatting your encyclopedia or dictionary references, choose the example below that best matches the encyclopedia or dictionary you are referencing. Further examples of encyclopedia or dictionary references can be found on the APA style blog at this link.

Entry in an Encyclopedia or Dictionary (with Author)

Format: Author(s). (Publication date). Title of entry. In A. Editor (Ed.), Title of Encyclopedia. DOI or non-database URL

Example: Uretsky, S. (2002). Analgesics. In K. Krapp (Ed.), The Gale encyclopedia of nursing and allied health. Gale.

Entry in Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary (with Organization or Group Author)

Online encyclopedias and dictionaries are updated often, so the date is given as (n.d.) for "no date." Because they are often updated, you should also give a retrieval date in your reference for an online encyclopedia or dictionary.

Give the URL only if it comes from the original authored source (not a database).

Format: Name of Group. (n.d.). Title of entry. In Name of online source or webpage. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from non-database URL

Example: Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Empathy. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved November 19, 2019 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empathy