Tools for this page
Print

What’s the Story?

Reviewed byHeidi Kotansky
Does your kid shy away from flipping through the 1,000+ pages of your old print dictionary to find a word's meaning? Simply point him to the search field on M-W.COM and he'll be able to get the definition in seconds. There's also the thesaurus, the Spanish/English dictionary, and the medical dictionary to search on. You'll get the word's uses, variations, and an audio clip of how words are pronounced -- one cool thing on the site that the print version just can't offer.

Is It Any Good?

4
The Spelling Bee Hive -- a section about the National Spelling Bee -- the age-appropriate games, and the word of the day will be of particular interest to kids. Ads (both sponsored and banner) appear on every page, and links of the sponsored advertisers take kids off the site. If you want to be old-school, you can buy the print versions on the site. Membership for the online unabridged version is $29.95 a year; collegiate is only $14.95.
Give Us a Minute, Get a Lot of Common Sense!
  • Age-appropriate best bets for your kids
  • Weekly email alert with the latest picks, reviews & advice
  • Post your own reviews and share them with friends

This will never be displayed to others.
Your email will never be displayed to others.
Your password should be 6-10 characters long.
A screen name protects your privacy
To post a review or comment you must become a Common Sense Member. It's easy!

Set-up your account
This will never be displayed to others.
Your email will never be displayed to others.
Your password should be 6-10 characters long.

Choose a screen name
It will appear when you post your own reviews and recommendations.
A screen name protects your privacy

Tell us your children's ages
You'll see the movies, games, books, shows, music, and sites our editors select just for them. As your children get older, our picks will grow with them!Why we ask for this
We never display your children's names, (or nicknames) to anyone, but you. Providing your children's ages allows us to personalize information on our site, so you get better information, faster.
is
until
(optional)
is
until
is
until
is
until
is
until
is
until
Add another child

We can make Common Sense just right for you. With a little info about you and your family, you'll get the most out of our site.

Set-up your account
This will never be displayed to others.
Your email will never be displayed to others.
Your password should be 6-10 characters long.

Tell us your children's ages
You'll see the movies, games, books, shows, music, and sites our editors select just for them. As your children get older, our picks will grow with them!
Why we ask for this
We never display your children's names, (or nicknames) to anyone, but you. Providing your children's ages allows us to personalize information on our site, so you get better information, faster.
is
until
is
until
is
until
is
until
is
until
is
until
Add another child

Choose a screen name
It will appear when you post your own reviews and recommendations
A screen name protects your privacy
Register to add this school to your profile. You'll be able to see and share reviews from parents, teachers, and kids at your child's school.
I'm already a Common Sense member.
Kids under 13 must use a screen name