Amaya Toman Among other things, the macOS operating system includes a native Dictionary application. Many users overlook this application for various reasons and do not use it in any way. It's a shame, because Dictionary on Mac can provide you with a really great service in many cases. How and why to use Dictionary on Mac?
It could be interest you
Flying around the world with Apple One of the most underrated applications you'll find on your Mac is Dictionary. In many ways, it offers a simple way to search for words, but the possibilities of its use actually extend even further. If you are not sure how to fully use this application or how to navigate it, read the following lines.
How to set up Dictionary on Mac
The first time you start the Dictionary app, you need to adjust its settings first. On your Mac, launch the native Dictionary, then click on the bar at the top of the screen Dictionary -> Settings. In settings window, which will be displayed to you, you will find a list of all supported languages in addition to Wikipedia. Toggling the check box next to each language you're interested in will add it to the Dictionary app. Once done, you can close the settings and start using the app as such.
Gallery
How to use Dictionary on Mac
The Dictionary application has a very simple user interface. The first element you may notice is language menu bar top left. On this bar, you can either click on an option All and search all added language dictionaries, or you can select a specific language and search it individually, excluding results from other languages. Brown next to the search field you will also find icon Aa, with which you can reduce or increase the text size.
When searching for the meaning of the word in sidebar on the left displays a list of additional words in alphabetical order. Click on any of them to search for them. The main section shows the definition of the word in each of the selected languages. If you've enabled the Wikipedia option, typing a word into the search box will also retrieve information and photos about it from the dedicated Wikipedia website, if available.
Gallery
What to use the dictionary on Mac
Simply put, there are three main ways to use the Dictionary app. You can use it as a regular dictionary that explains what a given word means using the same language. It can also act as a thesaurus to give you synonyms for a word in the same language. And finally, you can also rely on it when translating a word from one language to another.
The Dictionary app on macOS also offers several clever tricks and shortcuts. For example, you can type any word into Spotlight search on macOS and the results will include Dictionary findings so you don't have to run it. Besides, you can also on the selected word in the macOS operating system, click on the trackpad using Force Touch to display the search result in the Dictionary. Likewise, in the Dictionary app itself, you can also tap on highlighted words in the definition to look up the words listed.
Gallery
As we can see, the Dictionary application in macOS has a rather simple interface, but it is actually a very powerful tool. This is especially true given its integration with Wikipedia as well as macOS-level permissions. Thanks to this, the native Dictionary becomes a central information source, where you can not only look up the translation or meaning of a given word, but also read a detailed explanation about it.
