Oxford Shorter English Dict.

Contains adsIn-app purchases
4.8
948 reviews
100K+
Downloads
Content rating
Rated for 3+
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About this app

Based on the 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary, the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary contains an incredible one-third of the coverage of the Oxford English Dictionary and includes all words in current English from 1700 to the present day.

 • Contains more than 600,000 words, phrases, and definitions, with coverage of language from the entire English-speaking world, from North America and the UK to South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and the Caribbean
 • Fully updated with 2,500 new words and meanings based on the ongoing research programme of Oxford Dictionaries and the Oxford English Corpus
 • Includes all the vocabulary current in general English from 1700 to the present day, as well as earlier major literary works, including Shakespeare, Milton's poetry, the Authorized Version of the Bible, and Spenser's Faerie Queene
 • Excellent coverage of all types of English encompassing slang, dialect words, technical, historical, and literary terms, and rare and obsolete words
 • Over 80,000 quotations illustrating words in use throughout the centuries and thousands of newly discovered antedatings based on the ongoing research for the OED
 • A never-before-published, introductory essay by the eminent language commentator David Crystal on the History of English provides a stimulating insight into the development of the English language
 • NEW! Translate words in any other Android app with the Tap to Translate feature, and do it in style with any of the four colorful new themes.

With new coverage of global English, as well as slang, dialect, technical, historical, and literary terms, and rare and obsolete words, the latest edition of the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary allows the general reader access to an unparalleled level of scholarship, as well as being an essential tool for academics and researchers.

Also includes advanced search and language tools that have become the staple of quality language apps from MobiSystems, Inc.

SEARCH TOOLS - effortlessly find words thanks to a clear, functional, and easy-to-use interface.

Designed to provide the most comprehensive search experience the dictionary combines several search tools to match or suggest what you are looking for, including:
 • Search autocomplete helps find words quickly by displaying predictions as you type
 • Keyword lookup allows you to search within compound words and phrases
 • Looking for a specific word but don't know how it's spelled? We've got you covered with our automatic ‘Fuzzy filter’ to correct word spelling, as well as ‘Wild card’ ('*' or '?') to replace a letter or entire parts of a word
 • Camera search looks up words in the camera viewfinder and displays results
 • Use our Voice search when you don't know how an entry is spelled.
 • NEW! Tap to Translate entries in other apps
 • Share word definitions via installed apps on your device

LEARNING TOOLS - engaging features that help you further enhance your vocabulary.

 • Designed to give you the freedom to structure your studies the way you see fit the 'Favorites' option allows you to create custom folders with lists of words from the vast library of entries
 • ‘Recent’ list to easily review looked-up words
 • Learn a new word every day with our ‘Word of the day’ option
 • Home screen widget provides random words at a glance

***This is a fully functional 30-day trial version***

Get MORE by purchasing the full version:

 • Permanently unlock the complete features list
 • Offline mode - look up words without an internet connection
 • Premium Support – Get expedited support for any app-related issues
 • Ad-free
Updated on
Feb 8, 2024

Data safety

Safety starts with understanding how developers collect and share your data. Data privacy and security practices may vary based on your use, region, and age. The developer provided this information and may update it over time.
No data shared with third parties
Learn more about how developers declare sharing
This app may collect these data types
Financial info, App activity and 2 others
Data isn’t encrypted
Data can’t be deleted

Ratings and reviews

4.8
869 reviews
Matthew Lambert
February 15, 2024
I love it. This is the digital/searchable version of Oxford's 2-vol. Dictionary and I have only run across a word or two that wasn't in here. I use it multiple times a day. I only wish they had the full 10-vol. Universal English Dictionary on offer. But honestly, this is probably more than what's needed for most people. You can download it all for use offline as well.
6 people found this review helpful
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Ashley Mills
February 11, 2024
The most comprehensive offline Oxford Dictionary, and most genuine authority that I can find. It has some very nice features too. Provides context to an unbastardised meaning of words in the English language, also with variations of words in the context of the period when they were widely used.
5 people found this review helpful
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A Google user
May 29, 2019
For years I've had the SOED in an earlier edition in the 2-volume hardback, which was in difficult to read and very, very heavy. Having all of that in an app on my phone is so much better for my poor eyesight, and the ease of reference is great too. When I need to use a cross-reference to the other end of the alphabet, I don't have to flip from one large volume to the other.
2 people found this review helpful
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What's new

In our ongoing efforts to improve user experience, we've focused on refining app performance and resolving issues to ensure a more seamless and reliable experience through the world of words.