Citation Help: Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
A quick note:
The following examples follow the Notes-Bibliography style. For Author-Date style, please consult The Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition.
Chicago Citation Examples: Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
Print Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
Well-known reference books, such as major dictionaries and encyclopedias, are normally cited in notes rather than in bibliographies.
Important Elements:
- Title of Reference Work
- Edition
- Date volume was issued
- For references to an alphabetically arranged work, cite the item (not the volume or page number) preceded by s.v. (sub verbo, “under the word”; pl. s.vv.).
Notes
1. Title of Reference Work, X ed. (Year), s.v. "entry."
2. Title of Reference Work, X ed. (Medium, version, Year), s.v. "entry."
3. Title of Reference Work, (Year), s.v. "entry."
1. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th ed. (1980), s.v. “salvation.”
2. Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. (CD-ROM, version 4.0, 2009), s.v. “hoot(e)nanny, hootananny.”
3. Dictionary of American Biography (1937), s.v. “Wadsworth, Jeremiah.”
Most other reference works, however, are more appropriately listed with full publication details like any other book resource.
Bibliography Entry
Title of Reference Work. X ed. Location: Publisher, Year.
Garner, Bryan A. Garner’s Modern English Usage. 4th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2016.
Online Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
Important Elements:
- Title of Reference Work
- Publication or Revision Date (if none is available, supply access date)
- For frequently updated resources, a time stamp may be included
- Stable URL
- For references to an alphabetically arranged work, cite the item (not the volume or page number) preceded by s.v. (sub verbo, “under the word”; pl. s.v.).
The facts of publication are often omitted, but signed entries may include the name of the author. Note that names in entries are not always inverted as in printed editions; follow the usage in the source.
Notes
1. Title of Reference, s.v. "entry," accessed Date Month day, year, Stable URL.
1. Merriam-Webster, s.v. “app (n.),” accessed April 6, 2016, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/app.
Turabian Citation Examples: Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
Important Elements:
- Author
- Title of article
- Title of publication
- Edition number
- Publication location
- Publisher
- Date of publication of article
- Page OR reference number
- For articles retrieved online, include a stable URL or DOI, if available.
Print Encyclopedias
Notes
1. Author First Name Author Last Name, "Title of Article," Publication Title, edition, (Publication location: Publisher, Date), page OR reference number.
1. Steve Betts, Alan Huckleberry, and Jason Sifford, "9,000 teaching pieces on YouTube: The University of Iowa Piano Pedagogy Project." Clavier Companion, November, 2012, 23.
Bibliography Entry
None. Encyclopedia entry citations may be omitted from your bibliography.
Online Encyclopedias
Notes
1. Author First Name Author Last Name, "Title of Article," Publication Title, accessed Month, Day, Year, Stable URL.
1. Michele Bowe Hustedt, "Voxman, Himie," Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed May 8, 2014,
Bibliography Entry
None. Encyclopedia entry citations may be omitted from your bibliography.
Examples From: Music Citation Guide
Chicago/Turabian Examples by Source
Ask a Librarian
Librarians are available to help you with your questions. Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions you might have regarding citation styles, citation management, etc.
Ask a question below or contact your subject specialist librarian for more help!
Useful Resources for Chicago/Turabian
Check out the Chicago Manual of Style's Shop Talk website for more great information about using the Chicago Manual of Style through the links below!
The Chicago Manual of Style by
Publication Date: 2017-09-05The Chicago Manual of Style 16th Edition
Call Number: Z253 .U69 2010A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations
Call Number: LB2369 .T8 2013A Pocket Guide to Writing in History by
Call Number: D13 .R295 2010Cite Them Right by
Call Number: PN171.F56 P43 2016