Cookie Policy

Effective Date: February 12, 2019
Updated: August 14, 2020 (TCFv.2.0)

Merriam-Webster participates in the IAB Europe Transparency & Consent Framework and complies with its Specifications and Policies. In addition, Merriam-Webster's Consent Management Platform (CMP) provider is OneTrust LLC with the CMP identification number 28.

Using “Cookies,” Merriam-Webster, Incorporated and our affiliates (“Merriam-Webster”) and our service providers collect information by automated means when you visit, access, or use our websites, mobile sites, applications, e-newsletters and other Services that link to this Cookie Policy (the “Services”).

This Cookie Policy describes how and why we use Cookies and your choices. In some cases, our use of Cookies may involve the processing of personal data (i.e., any information relating to an identified or identifiable individual, such as IP addresses, or other online mobile identifiers). For more information about our data collection and protection practices, see our Privacy Policy.

We may periodically update this Cookie Policy without prior notice to reflect changes in our practices. Please take a look at the Effective Date at the top of this page to see when this Cookie Policy was last revised.

By using the Services, you acknowledge you have read and accepted this Cookie Policy.

What is a Cookie?

A cookie is a small text file that is placed on the hard drive of your device, including your computer, tablet, smartphone or other device when you visit a website. They are widely used by websites for functional (in order to make websites work), non-functional (tailoring messages and other content to a user’s interests) and other purposes.

When we refer to “Cookies,” this includes other similar tracking technologies such as web beacons, which link web pages to servers and may be used to transmit information collected through cookies back to a web server, pixels, JavaScript, or web server logs, which allow us to use invisible images or code on the our Services, or data from our web server logs, to gain analytics insights. Using these tracking technologies (Cookies) enables us and third-party service providers to deliver and improve the Services, and display relevant content, products, services and advertising. Cookies set by Merriam-Webster are called first-party cookies. Cookies set by a domain different than the Service’s domain are called third-party cookies.

For more information about Cookies, please visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org/.

Information obtained through our use of Cookies may include:

• information about your computer, device, and browser, such as: your IP address; browser type; operating system; device characteristics; language preferences; mobile device or advertising ID; and referring URLs;
• actions taken by you on the Services, such as: what content you visited; whether you have used the Services before; dates and times you access the Services; email and advertising views and click-throughs; and frequent definition searches on the Services;
• other software or hardware information; and
• your unique device identifier ("UDID"), mobile phone number, and details about your mobile carrier, if you access the Services from a mobile or other device.

We may use the information received from Cookies for the following purposes:

• Assisting you in navigation;
• Assisting in registration, login, and your ability to provide feedback;
• Analyzing your use of our products, Services or applications, including: counting visits to our Services; understanding usage and campaign effectiveness; and determining whether an email has been opened and acted upon;
• Assisting with statistical analysis to improve the use of our Services and prepare aggregated usage reports; and
• Assisting with our promotional and marketing efforts (including behavioral advertising).

We also may receive reports based on the use of these technologies by our third-party service providers on an individual and aggregated basis.

Your Cookie Choices

You have choices about our tracking tools that are not required for our Services to function. The choices you select are browser and device specific.

Browser Settings

You can instruct your browser to refuse all Cookies or to indicate when a Cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept Cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our Services. To manage or delete browser cookies, please see your browser's privacy settings. To manage or delete Flash cookies, please use the Adobe Flash Player Settings Manager here:
http://​www.macromedia.com/​support/​documentation/​en/​flashplayer/​help/​settings_manager07.html

How we respond to “Do Not Track” signals

Some internet browsers or other tools include “Do Not Track” (DNT) features that, when turned on, send a signal to websites you visit indicating you do not wish to be tracked across websites over time. However, since no technology standard for DNT signals has been developed or adopted to date, Merriam-Webster does not currently respond to DNT signals.

Google Analytics

You can opt out of this Google Analytics Advertiser feature using the Ads Settings located at https://​www.google.com/​settings/​ads. You also can use the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on to disable tracking by Google Analytics. To delete these cookies, please see your browser's privacy settings or follow the above instructions.

Interest-based, behaviorally targeted advertising

To opt out of behavioral advertising, click here. You also can opt out of being behaviorally targeted by Merriam-Webster (and other companies employing online advertising) via the following options:

• Digital Advertising Alliance
• Digital Advertising Alliance Canada
• European Digital Advertising Alliance
• Network Advertising Initiative

If you opt out of interest-based, behaviorally targeted advertising you will continue to receive ads on our free, ad-supported Services, but not behaviorally targeted ads. Also, if you opt out of Merriam-Webster’s practices, you may continue to receive interest-based, behaviorally targeted advertising through other companies.

Cookie Categories; Cookie Settings; Opt-Out (Personalization Cookies Only)

Below is a detailed list of the Cookies we use on our Services. Our Services are scanned with our Cookie scanning tool regularly to maintain a list as accurate as possible. We classify Cookies in the following categories:

• Strictly Necessary Cookies
• Performance Cookies
• Functional Cookies
• Personalization Cookies

How to Opt-Out:

You can learn more about each cookie category (and opt-out of Personalization Cookies) by clicking on the “Cookie Settings” button below: