Spanish Dictionary: Traditional and Slang Dictionaries & Spanish Words

Alternative & Traditional Spanish Dictionaries
Here is a complete resource for Spanish dictionaries, including this FREE online Spanish dictionary. This page is where it is easy to find the Spanish word you are looking for, whether or not you are trying to translate from Spanish to English, find the definition of a Spanish phrase, or save on professional dictionary software - if you are a professional translator, or full time student who takes learning Spanish and researching Spanish words seriously. If you are looking to buy Spanish language dictionary software for Spanish to Spanish or English to Spanish translation and definitions, then we let you know how to get the cheapest dictionary software at a discount.

Define Spanish words
Serious students and professional translators know that in order to grasp the Spanish language comprehensively, the Real Academia Española—the Spanish equivalent to the Oxford English Dictionary—is a great start, but it is not enough. That is why it is absolutely necessary to have constant, unhindered access to an alternative Spanish dictionary in order to define Spanish words—not just the words of Don Quixote, but everyday words that Hispanic people are speaking in the streets, reading in the newspapers, speaking on television and writing in contemporary literature or Spanish literary journalism. An alternative Spanish dictionary will allow you to define Spanish slang words, just as the Spanish Urban Dictionary will provide a list of Spanish words that are classified as alternative.

Certainly, user discretion is advised when accessing these alternative Spanish dictionaries, as the profane language content may not be appropriate for children under a certain age. Yet serious students and professional translators who thrive upon having a comprehensive scope of the Spanish language at their finger tips must have access to an alternative Spanish dictionary, and that is why we at Spanish Professor provide that resource to you, because we know that if you are unable to connect to a Spanish slang website, then you are being cut off from a rich and valuable component of the language that you are focusing on, translating or studying.

Complete Spanish dictionary
In addition to dictionaries that help define slang words in Spanish and define Spanish phrases that are alternative, we provide traditional dictionaries in order to enable you to define normal Spanish phrases, and get your work or studying done efficiently, effectively and with a full, concise understanding of the meanings of the words you are defining.

Even for translators, it is important that you be able to accurately define a Spanish word in Spanish—that is why we list the Real Academia Española dictionary below, which is as we've mentioned before and what philological experts agree to be the Spanish equivalent of Oxford Dictionary, so that—especially students—can gather a full and nuanced comprehension of the Spanish words definitions and what they mean in, well, Spanish. That said, there is also a major dilemma that especially plagues translators, and have been a source of confusion and challenge throughout the years, every since translation existed, we're sure! This problem is that sometimes—well, often, in fact—there are Spanish words with no English equivalent. How do you translate one Spanish word into an English word, if there is no direct equivalent? Well, with the help of the several dictionary resources that we have listed below, it is possible to develop phrasal equivalents in English, to single words in Spanish. And vice-versa. Indeed, a Spanish dictionary isn't simply a word definer, but it is an essential tool in discover the meaning and intention behind a word that is spoken or written.

Spanish words definitions
While there are many online Spanish dictionaries that you can access on the Internet, it is also invaluable to have a book in hand, a paper dictionary that you can access as quick reference in your office, study or on the go. This is especially handy for people who are going from the classroom to the library to the dorm and back home again—always have a Spanish dictionary on hand, whether it be a traditional Spanish dictionary, a verb reference book or a Spanish slang dictionary, the following books are very helpful to students studying Spanish as well as business professionals and people translating Spanish texts.

No matter how fluent you are in Spanish, it can be easy to find words you don't yet know. After all, even native speakers of Spanish own dictionaries! Here are a few of the best Spanish dictionaries online:

Excellent Spanish - English Dictionaries
Here is an online dictionary from Spanish to English, and English to Spanish which can provide a quick, useful reference for students and translators:

-Webster's New World Concise Spanish Dictionary - Excellent Spanish - English, English - Spanish dictionary for students, translators.

Spanish to Spanish Dictionary
Developing a stronger Spanish language ability often requires being able to solve vocabulary problems in Spanish, without having to resort to the English language translation. Students are often encouraged to look for the Spanish definition of unknown words in texts, in order to further strengthen their overall comprehension of the language. Here is a great list of online Spanish dictionaries with definitions in Spanish:

Diccionario de la Lengua Espanola - Spanish to Spanish Dictionary, roughly the equivalent of the Oxford English Dictionary for the Spanish language - a traditional Spanish dictionary.
Diccionario Practico del Estudiante/ Student Dictionary - Also from the Real Academia de Espanol (RAE), this offers 30,000 entries and is especially helpful for the English speaker learning Spanish.
Diccionario Esencial Lengua Espanola de la Real Academia Espanola - Hardcover version of the RAE dictionary.

Spanish Slang Dictionaries
Certain slang words are shared throughout much of the Spanish speaking world. In addition to this, each Spanish speaking country has a rich and unique variety of slang that can be fascinating as well as challenging. If you are looking for a Spanish slang definition, or seeking deeper cultural understanding for a Spanish language presentation, lesson or translation project, then here are a few standard and regional Spanish slang dictionaries:

Dictionary of Spanish Slang (Dictionaries of Foreign Slang) - Helpful guide to important Spanish slang words.
Streetwise Spanish - Book plus CD, offers comprehensive list os Spanish slang words and phrases.
The Big Red Book of Spanish Idioms - Boasts over 12,000 essential Spanish slang phrases.

Dictionary Software
Some people, especially professional translators and students seeking a degree in Spanish, prefer to download translation software in order to have a reliable dictionary on hand, all the time, without having to worry about Web site down time. Here are a few dictionary software programs you can buy online or pay a small fee to download:

Complete Spanish Learning Suite - Electronic Spanish dictionary with over 60,000 words and native pronunciation.
Oxford Spanish Dictionary - Oxford's version of electronic Spanish dictionary software.
Spanish Dictionary Learn Spanish Today
Online English-Spanish Legal Dictionary WordReference.com

Remember, just because there are Spanish words with no English equivalent one to one, definitions and phrasal equivalents can always be found and the best tool for this bar none is a dictionary. All Spanish dictionaries may have different emphases but most will get to the essence of what you are looking for.

Click here for more free online Spanish slang dictionaries and resources. And read reviews of an electronic handheld Spanish travel dictionary online. Also pick up Spanish expressions with their English equivalents.