# Free Dictionary API (`brunofin/free-dictionary-api`) Actor

Fetch word definitions, phonetics, pronunciation audio, parts of speech, and example usage from the official Free Dictionary API (dictionaryapi.dev) — keyless, no auth, no rate limits.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/brunofin/free-dictionary-api.md
- **Developed by:** [Bruno Finger](https://apify.com/brunofin) (community)
- **Categories:** Education
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

Pay per usage

This Actor is paid per platform usage. The Actor is free to use, and you only pay for the Apify platform usage, which gets cheaper the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-usage

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## Free Dictionary API Actor

Fetches word definitions, phonetics, pronunciation audio, parts of speech, and example usage from the official Free Dictionary API (dictionaryapi.dev) — keyless, no auth, no rate limits.

### Features

- **Keyless API**: No API key required, no authentication needed
- **Rich definitions**: Returns phonetics, audio pronunciation, parts of speech, definitions, and example usage
- **Multiple meanings**: Handles words with multiple definitions and parts of speech
- **Batch lookup**: Process multiple words in a single run

### Input

```json
{
  "words": ["hello", "world", "example"]
}
```

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|-------|------|----------|-------------|
| words | array\[string] | Yes | List of words to look up |

### Output

Each word produces a dataset row with:

```json
{
  "word": "hello",
  "phonetic": "hə��lo��",
  "phonetics": [
    {
      "text": "hə��lo��",
      "audio": "https://api.dictionaryapi.dev/media/pronunciations/en/hello-us.mp3"
    }
  ],
  "origin": "late 19th century: variant of hallo",
  "meanings": [
    {
      "partOfSpeech": "exclamation",
      "definitions": [
        {
          "definition": "Used as a greeting or to begin a phone conversation.",
          "example": "hello, how are you?"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}
```

### Pricing

PAY\_PER\_EVENT: $0.001 per word looked up (event name: `word-looked-up`)

### Category

EDUCATION / DEVELOPER\_TOOLS

### API Source

Official Free Dictionary API: https://dictionaryapi.dev/

# Actor input Schema

## `words` (type: `array`):

A list of words to look up via the Free Dictionary API. Each word produces one result row with definitions, phonetics, and examples.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "words": [
    "hello"
  ]
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "words": [
        "hello"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("brunofin/free-dictionary-api").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "words": ["hello"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("brunofin/free-dictionary-api").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "words": [
    "hello"
  ]
}' |
apify call brunofin/free-dictionary-api --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,brunofin/free-dictionary-api"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/Igas0VenssVxTTmP8/builds/mRadQf8xOrl0amOV3/openapi.json