Conventions for Discussing Words
and Using Dictionary Entries
to Support Arguments about Words


This webpage tries to help students by interpreting and illustrating conventions established in The MLA Style Manual and MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 4th edition. Remember that italicizing and underlining are equivalent; however, make consistent use of one of these typographic conventions in a professional paper. Don't switch them inconsistently.

Conventions for linguistic discussion of words

1. Italicize or underline a form discussed as a word.

Examples:

Ordinary's meaning has changed over the history of English.

Ordinary's meaning has changed over the history of English.

2. In U.S. usage, use single quotation marks ' ' for a definition NOT separated from the word.

Example:

Verray 'true' develops a more general meaning in English.


3. Use double quotation marks " " for a definition separated from the word.

Example:

Verray widens its meaning from "true" to simply "extremely."


Dictionary Documentation

Use parenthetical documentation to cite a dictionary entry arranged alphabetically.

  • Give dictionary title or abbreviation italicized or underlined.
  • If not stated in sentence, give the head entry for the word italicized or underlined. If the spelling of the word in your sentence is different from the headword form, give the headword in parenthetical documentation.
  • If more than one headword entry with same spelling, give part of speech designator.
  • If more than one meaning listed in dictionary, specify number of pertinent sense.

Examples:

In the Southern United States, Old Scratch is a dialect term for "Satan" that likely developed from ME scrat 'hermaphrodite goblin,' a term of Old Norse origin (AHD). [Explanation: The AHD listing is under the "Old Scratch" entry. The sentence and parenthetical documentation give sufficient information for the reader to find the source.]

Very widens its meaning from "true" to simply "extremely" (OED, very, a., 1 & 8).

Very originally meant "true" (OED, a., 1).

Very 'true' develops into Modern English Very 'extremely' (OED, very, a., 1 & 8).

Verray 'true' develops into Modern English very 'extremely' (OED, very, a., 1 & 8).