{{Short description|Online encyclopedia}} {{Update|date=August 2018 |reason=}}

{{Infobox website | name = Reference.com | logo = Reference-com logo.svg | url = {{URL|http://www.reference.com}} | type = {{hlist|Online encyclopedia|dictionary|thesaurus}} | language = {{hlist|English|Spanish}} | owner = IAC | launch_date = {{Start date and age|1997|2}} }}

'''Reference.com''' is an online encyclopedia that organizes content that uses a question-and-answer format. Articles are organized into hierarchical categories.

Before IAC restructured the site following an acquisition in 2008, Reference.com also had comprised multiple reference works, and disclosed its sources.

==History== thumb|left|The old version of the Reference.com logo

Reference.com was launched by InReference, Inc in February 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-19088675.html|title=Reference.com Goes Live as the Most Comprehensive Internet Forums Service|date=10 July 2019|publisher=Business Wire}}{{dead link|date=July 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The site was later acquired by Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. In 2005, Lexico announced that Reference.com would begin offering searches of Wikipedia content.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.apkkingz.com/2019/07/google-translate.html|title=Reference.com Expands Content by Adding Wikipedia Encyclopedia to Search Capabilities|publisher=Lexico Publishing Group|date=15 September 2005|access-date=30 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225094122/http://www.lexico.com/about/pr20050915.html|archive-date=25 February 2009|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The popularity of Dictionary.com had been greatly boosted by Google's practice of offering a link at the top of their search results that goes to the Dictionary.com definition.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}} This exclusive relationship was terminated without explanation to the public when the Google links were redirected to definitions at Answers.com. (In December 2009, the Answers.com links were replaced with Google's own dictionary.) Google added a Dictionary.com definition link for certain search words in a non-exclusive relationship (along with links to definitions from a few other commercial reference websites). On 3 July 2008, IAC acquired Lexico Publishing Group, LLC and its three properties: Thesaurus.com, Reference.com, and Dictionary.com.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN0337985120080703?feedType=RSS&feedName=internetNews|title=Ask.com closes acquisition of Dictionary.com|publisher=Reuters|date=3 July 2008|first=Eric|last=Auchard|access-date=1 July 2017|archive-date=4 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404235851/https://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN0337985120080703?feedType=RSS&feedName=internetNews|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.cnet.com/8300-10784_3-7-0.html?keyword=Dictionary.com|title=Ask.com closes Dictionary.com deal|publisher=CNet|date=4 July 2008}}</ref>

==Sources== Reference.com reproduced content from external sources.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reference.com/help/about.html|title=About Dictionary.com|website=Reference.com|access-date=24 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926163417/http://www.reference.com/help/about.html|archive-date=26 September 2008|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The site's sources included other online dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a search of terms found on other websites such as Wikipedia and the CIA ''World Factbook''. The site could also search Usenet groups and other mailing lists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/4239/new_web_service_provides_search_tool_for_usenet_and_more.html|title=New Web Service Provides Search Tool for Usenet and More|publisher=PC World|date=12 February 1997|author=Tracy Swedlow|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605225254/http://www.pcworld.com/article/4239/new_web_service_provides_search_tool_for_usenet_and_more.html|archive-date=5 June 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/04/nyregion/neighborhood-report-new-york-on-line-goodbye-to-seinfeld-or-good-riddance.html|work=The New York Times|date=4 January 1998|author=Anthony Ramirez|title=Neighborhood Report: New York Online|access-date=18 February 2017|archive-date=29 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029182246/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/04/nyregion/neighborhood-report-new-york-on-line-goodbye-to-seinfeld-or-good-riddance.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The encyclopedia had articles from such sources as the 2004 ''Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia'', the ''Crystal Reference Encyclopedia'', and later the English Wikipedia. Its online dictionary indexed the ''American Heritage Dictionary'', ''Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary'', the Jargon File, the ''Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary'', Acronym Finder, ''Stedman's Medical Dictionary'', ''Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary'', the ''On-line Medical Dictionary'', and ''WordNet''. Its thesaurus was based on multiple versions of ''Roget's Thesaurus''. The site's web directory was an interface to the Open Directory Project, and its web search feature used Google Search. An interface to Google Translate was added in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://translate.reference.com/|title=Translator – An Ask.com Service|access-date=1 October 2009|archive-date=1 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201193649/http://translate.reference.com/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==User tracking== Reference.com in 2010 topped the list compiled by ''The Wall Street Journal'' ranking websites by how many third-party tracking cookies were added to the user's computer. Reference.com added 234 tracking cookies when encountering a first-time user.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tracking The Companies That Track You Online |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129298003 |work=Fresh Air |date=August 19, 2010 |access-date=14 September 2010 |archive-date=21 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421212032/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129298003 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist|1}}

{{IAC}}

Category:Online English dictionaries Category:American websites Category:Websites which mirror Wikipedia Category:IAC Inc. Category:Internet properties established in 1997 Category:Thesauri (lexicography)