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Encyclopedias and dictionaries

Use these sources to find authoritative definitions and summaries – a useful starting point for seminar presentations and projects. They are a reliable alternative to Wikipedia!

General works and collections

These resources allow you to search for definitions and summaries in all subjects.

  • Britannica Academic - search across the full 32 volumes of Encyclopædia Britannica
  • Credo Reference - search across multiple works in all subjects
  • Oxford Reference - search across multiple works in all subjects
  • Summon - search our discovery service to find definitions from many of our online dictionaries and encyclopedias

See also our list of Quick reference sources.

Some More specific sources

This is a selection of reference works and collections we have purchased for specific subjects. To find other individual titles search the Enterprise catalogue.