How to Cite a Dictionary Entry in Vancouver

Dictionary entries and word definitions.

Example in Vancouver

1.
Algorithm. In: Oxford English Dictionary [Internet]. Oxford University Press; 2025 [cited 2026 Oct 18]. Available from: https://www.oed.com/dictionary/algorithm_n
In-text (1)

Numbered by order of appearance in your document.

What Vancouver includes

These are the details of the example above that the style prints, so they are the ones to collect for your own source.

  • Term/Word
  • Dictionary
  • Publisher
  • Date Published
  • URL
  • Date Accessed

Include the headword or entry term, dictionary title, edition, and year. For online dictionaries, note the URL and access date.

The formatting comes from the style's own file, so check the finer points against your guide. What to check by hand in Vancouver.

A Dictionary Entry in other styles

APA 7th edition MLA 9th edition Chicago 18th edition (notes and bibliography) Harvard (Cite Them Right 12th edition) IEEE

Other sources in Vancouver

Website Book Journal Article Newspaper Article Book Chapter Thesis/Dissertation Report Video Podcast/Broadcast Magazine Article Software Dataset Patent Legal Case Legislation Bill Regulation Hearing Standard Treaty Conference Paper Manuscript Review Book Review Classic Work Reference Entry Encyclopedia Entry Periodical Collection Interview Speech Song Musical Score Graphic Figure Map Performance Event Pamphlet Preprint Document Post Blog Post Personal Communication Generative AI