Have you ever typed a word, and then thought to yourself, “Self, is that the word I meant to use, or does it actually mean something completely different?” Here’s how to quickly get the definition of a word while you’re typing on your Mac.
If you’re entering text in an app, and you’d like to see the definition of any of the words you’ve entered, simply click on the word and then press the “Command + Control + D” key combination on your Mac’s keyboard, as seen below:
The meaning and pronunciation of the word will be displayed, as shown below:
Right clicking will also present the option to “look up” the meaning of the word in question. Easy-Peasy!
This also works while you’re viewing text in a browser, just double-click the word to select it, and then press the keyboard combo. Or, you can right-click the word and do the “look up” trick.
(This “how to” is an update to the one we published back in 2012.)
For more tips and tricks on how to make better use of your Mac, iOS device, Apple Watch, or Apple TV, be sure to visit the “How To” section of our website.