Overview of the Oxford Dictionaries API Licence:

This sets out an overview of how the Oxford Dictionaries API Programme works and summarises some of the key terms and conditions. This overview is not a legally-binding document. You should review the full terms and conditions which govern your use of the Oxford Dictionaries API and the content made available through it (“Content”). If you don’t accept all of those terms you should not register.

What the Oxford Dictionaries API Licence allows:

The non-exclusive licence granted under the full terms allows you to use the Oxford Dictionaries API and to download and use the Content, either by itself or in combination with data from other sources. You can use the Oxford Dictionaries API and Content to make digital products available to the public (without our consent) and you can do so on a commercial basis (e.g. by charging your customers or by adding advertising).

Payment plans:

Oxford University Press provides several payment plans providing different levels of access to the Oxford Dictionaries API. Please review the website for information about those different tiers and the access you are granted under each option.

How it works:

Upon registration, you will be issued with an App ID and App Key, which you must keep confidential and only use as agreed with us in the full terms. You can use these to access the Oxford Dictionaries API and download Content. The licence terms allow you to access and use the Oxford Dictionaries API and the Content in any way you can imagine, provided that you meet certain requirements (e.g. only using the Content in a lawful) and avoid certain prohibited uses (e.g. you can’t use the Oxford Dictionaries API or Content in any digital product which is offensive, or which is a simple dictionary lookup service). See the full terms for more detail.

Are there usage limits?

To make sure the service is stable for everyone to use, we place restrictions on the number of requests you make to the Oxford Dictionaries API. We publish the fair use limits in the documentation on the Oxford Dictionaries API website. These may change from time to time, so you should check them regularly.

If you don’t keep within these Fair Use Policy limits, we may throttle, suspend or terminate your access.

Can I cache content locally?:

If you are on a paid-for payment plan (i.e. not the free one) you can contact us to ask for approval for local caching.

Relationship with OUP:

You may use ‘Powered by Oxford Dictionaries’ within your application when using this service, but you aren’t allowed to use any OUP branding or trade mark without our prior written agreement. And we reserve the right to withdraw at any time. OUP is allowed to use your name and product details on the Oxford Dictionaries API website and related marketing.  See the full terms for further details about your relationship with OUP and marketing. If you make products available for others to use which incorporate Content or rely on the Oxford Dictionaries API, you are not permitted to suggest that you have any partnership or official status with OUP or that OUP endorses you or your product. You must not give the impression that your product is produced by OUP.

What service levels / support are available?

We want your use of the Oxford Dictionaries API to be successful and so we encourage you to contact us via Contact Us with any technical questions or support issues. However, the Early Adopter Licence is a free licence and the service is provided “as is”.  As such, we can’t guarantee a certain level of service or support and you use the service and Content at your own risk. We may occasionally need to make changes to the Content available or the functionality of the Oxford Dictionaries API and, where possible, we will give advance notice of such changes via the blog and/or by email.

How can I give feedback?

We are interested to hear any feedback you may have about the Oxford Dictionaries API, the content available or the functionality of the website.  Please contact us via the Contact Us page with any comments or if you have any problems.  If you make suggestions for how we can improve the service or fix bugs, please note that the full terms state that you will assign to us any intellectual property in those improvements/fixes.

What about printed materials?

You can only use the Content in digital products, not in any printed form.

What if I was on the Early Adopter Programme?

The terms of your Early Adopter Licence will continue for the term of that agreement. After that agreement expires (or sooner if you choose) you can transfer to one of the business plans.

Is there other legal stuff to be aware of?

Yes. The text on this page is not the licence – this is just a non-binding overview. You should review the full terms and conditions, which you will need to accept before you can start using the Oxford Dictionaries API. The full terms set out the legal terms and conditions which will govern your use of the Oxford Dictionaries API and Content and they contain important provisions about how we limit our liability and indemnities we require from you to protect us as a result of your use of the Oxford Dictionaries API and Content. If you do not agree to the full terms, you must not register to use the Oxford Dictionaries API.

Ownership and Intellectual Property:

The Oxford Dictionaries API is owned by Oxford University Press and licensed to you under the full terms.  The Content is owned or licensed by Oxford University Press and licensed to you under the full terms.

Please note that the full terms may change from time to time and will be effective when published on the website at https://developer.oxforddictionaries.com/api-terms-and-conditions.