- Home
- Online Dictionaries
- The Free Dictionary
The Free Dictionary
Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, United States
What it is
The Free Dictionary brings together dictionaries, a thesaurus, specialized reference works, encyclopedias, literature references and a search engine. Its app offers word and idiom of the day, audio pronunciations, example sentences, etymologies and word games. It includes dictionaries in 13 other languages and translates from English into more than 40 languages. English dictionary and thesaurus content is available offline for free; offline dictionaries in other languages are Pro features. Users can save bookmarks and sync them across devices. The service is available on Android, iOS, macOS and the web, and developers can access it through API calls. The website and app are free, with ads and in-app purchases in the app. Listed one-time options include a $5.99 ad-free upgrade and Dictionary Pro at $9.99, which includes ad-free use, offline dictionaries and translations. The app listing directs users with questions or problems to its Feedback option in Settings for email support.
For and against
For
- Combines dictionaries, a thesaurus and reference works
- English dictionary and thesaurus content is available offline
- Includes audio pronunciations and example sentences
- Bookmarks can sync across devices
Against
- The app includes ads and in-app purchases
- Offline dictionaries in other languages require Pro
- Apple's listing says certain data may be used for cross-company tracking
The verdict
The Free Dictionary combines reference works with vocabulary, translation and offline English lookup. The app is free, while ad removal and additional offline language dictionaries are listed as paid options.
Who it suits
The Free Dictionary suits readers who want a broad reference library, language tools and offline English lookup. Its API access may also interest developers seeking reference content for other apps.
Plans and prices
Classic free app
online and offline English dictionary/thesaurus · ads · core app content
Read 15 Oct 2026 · thefreedictionary.com
Ad-free upgrade
removes advertising in the iOS app
Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Dictionary Pro
ad-free · expanded English offline dictionary · 13 additional offline dictionaries · offline translations
Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
The Free Dictionary app
Free app · includes ads and in-app purchases · additional offline dictionaries in other languages are available in the Pro version
Read 29 Sep 2026 · apps.apple.com
The Free Dictionary website
Free online reference content · multiple dictionaries, thesaurus, encyclopedias, and translation options
Read 29 Sep 2026 · thefreedictionary.com
On the record
- Advertising limit
- Farlex lists a $10,000 minimum for direct advertising and says it does not accept ads for adult products or services or suggestive ads for any services.farlex.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Android data safety
- Google Play reports that the Pro app may collect personal info and app activity, encrypts data in transit, and allows deletion requests.play.google.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- App customization
- Users can rearrange or remove homepage content such as articles, games and local weather.apps.apple.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Bookmarks
- The mobile app supports one-tap bookmarks and synchronizes saved items across devices.apps.apple.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Bookmarks and sync
- Users can save bookmarks and sync them across devices in the app.apps.apple.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Browser extensions
- Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Internet Explorer add-ons support toolbar searches, highlighting or right-click definition lookup.thefreedictionary.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Business partnerships
- Farlex says customized partnerships are available to websites with at least one million monthly visitors.farlex.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Changelog
- The App Store lists version 14 on November 11, 2025 with bug fixes and enhancements.apps.apple.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Company ownership
- Farlex describes itself as an independent privately held reference-products company.farlex.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Developer API
- Other apps may call the dictionary app through an API, but Farlex instructs developers to contact the company for access details.apps.apple.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The app listing says other apps can access The Free Dictionary through API calls and directs developers to contact Farlex for instructions.apps.apple.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Learning content
- Daily word and idiom features, grammar material, trivia, spelling activities and other word games are provided.thefreedictionary.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Licence status
- The cited pages display Farlex copyright notices but do not state an open-source licence.thefreedictionary.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: advertising
- Reviewers complain that advertising can be incessant or occasionally inappropriate, although an in-app purchase removes it.commonsensemedia.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: audio accuracy
- An App Store reviewer says the American and British pronunciation voices sometimes mispronounce words.apps.apple.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: extension workflow
- A Chrome extension reviewer found the context-menu placement and multi-click workflow clumsy and removed it.chrome-stats.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: offline setup
- A Google Play reviewer reports that offline use requires downloading word data first, so the initial setup needs internet access.play.google.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Multilingual content
- The app offers dictionaries in 13 other languages and translations from English into more than 40 languages.apps.apple.com · read 29 Sep 2026
