More than a historical dictionary…
over 500,000 entries… 3.5 million quotations … over 1000 years of English
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language. It is an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, history, and usage of 500,000 words and phrases past and present, from across the English-speaking world.
As a historical dictionary, the OED is very different from dictionaries of current English, in which the focus is on present-day meanings. You’ll still find present-day meanings in the OED, but you’ll also find the history of individual words, sometimes from as far back as the 11th century, and of the language—traced through 3.5 million quotations, from classic literature and specialist periodicals to film scripts, song lyrics, and social media posts.
The OED started life more than 150 years ago. Today, the dictionary is in the process of its first full revision. Updates revise and extend the OED at regular intervals, each time subtly adjusting our image of the English language.
However, that’s not all the OED is. We also offer a wide range of teaching resources, educational virtual events, video guides, and interactive quizzes. Keep reading to find all this below, as well as subscription options for the OED.
What will you discover?
Subscribe
- Personal Subscriptions: We are pleased to offer annual individual OED subscriptions for £100 or $100. View our subscriptions.
- Libraries and Institutions: Annual subscriptions are available for institutions. Register now for a free 30-day trial and to request pricing information. For customers within the Americas, please enquire here. For customers outside of the Americas, please use enquire here. If you have any other queries, please don’t hesitate to visit our contact us page.
Events
Visit our upcoming events page to sign up for virtual talks, panel discussions, and other OED events. You can also explore our wide range of recorded events on our event recordings page.
History of the OED
The OED has been the last word on words for over a century. Explore the history of the OED.
The updated OED
The OED is updated four times a year to include revisions to existing entries as well as add new words. View the latest updates.
OED resources
For students and teachers: view our range of OED resources for using the OED for research, study, and teaching.
Academic research:recordings of OED virtual talks and written OED case studies and articles showcasing academic research using the OED.
For librarians: materials and guides for getting the most from your subscription can be found in our OED librarian resource centre.
Getting started using the OED: our OED getting started guides are designed to help you navigate and understand the content in the OED.
Birthday word generator: use our birthday word generator to find out which word shares your birthday!
Quizzes: test your knowledge of the OED through our myth-busting the OED quiz, or challenge your grasp of the English language through this quiz.
The OED in print: buy the printed OED
