The French Academy’s dictionary is online on the internet

Last updated on 30 July 2023

At last? say the wicked languages … This passage from the French Academy’s dictionary to the internet is in any case a real success. The Academy’s new digital portal is aimed at the general public and language lovers. It already gives access to the 9^e edition (in the process of completion) and 8^e edition of the dictionary. The seven previous editions will be added by the end of the year. For the first time, the public will have access to the entire lexicographical undertaking conducted by the Académie française since 1694.

The French Academy has often been criticised for the slowness with which it drew up its famous dictionary. The first volume of the ninth edition of the dictionary was published in 1982, the academicians were in the letter ‘s’ a little more than a year ago …

We can make fun of their ‘relative’ slowness, but we can no longer say that they do not live with their time.. The Academy’s digital portal, which has just been inaugurated, is a great surprise. It offers a simple and responsive interface, with a clear and neat graphic design. Ergonomics and user experience without real flaws. The French Academy’s dictionary website can be consulted on a computer. It is compatible with smartphone or tablet mobile devices.

The Academy’s online dictionary will offer all nine existing editions

A dictionary open to other types of content