How to Turn Off Dictionary on Mac

Why you might want to disable Dictionary on Mac?

Turn off Dictionary on Mac if you get nervous because of unexpected popups of the built-in Dictionary offering definitions of the words you’ve just typed or if these annoying notifications distract you from work. Also, you should remember that enabling Dictionary, even if you don’t use it, overloads your system, adding unnecessary clutter. Besides, Trackpad gestures or keyboard shortcuts cause irritating accidental lookups. Thus, disabling the built-in Dictionary reduces annoying distractions, simplifies your workflow, declutters your search results, and helps to enhance your Mac’s productivity.

Can you disable Dictionary on Mac?

Yes, you can disable Dictionary on Mac without removing the app, in case you’ll need it. To do it, open the Apple menu > go to the System Settings > click on Trackpad in the left sidebar > choose Point & Click option > find and disable the Look up & data detectors. Alternatively, you can open the Dictionary app and uncheck it in Preferences. After these changes, the Dictionary popups won’t appear while using the trackpad.

A note from our experts: 

 

I guess accidental Dictionary lookups aren’t the only distractions for you. Are you getting tired of unexpected popups  while you’re working, studying, or doing any other important things? Do these intrusive ads drive you crazy when you’re trying to catch up with your schedule? You aren’t alone in this pain. Fortunately, MacKeeper’s StopAd tool developed by Clario Tech offers a handy solution to get rid of all these intrusive ads, annoying popups , and spam notifications quickly and safely, to guarantee you the efficient workflow and protect your data.

 

Follow our step-by-step instructions to block useless ads and popups on your Mac with MacKeeper’s StopAd:

1. Download the MacKeeper app from the official site and launch it.
2. In the left sidebar, select the MacKeeper’s StopAd tool.
3. Click the Open button at the bottom of the screen.
4. Enable the extension in your browser.

How to disable Dictionary on Mac?

To disable Dictionary app on Mac, go to the Apple menu > choose System Settings (or System Preferences if you use older macOS versions) > find Trackpad in the sidebar > choose Point & Click option > find the Look up & data detectors > click Off in the dropdown menu next to this feature. Such operations will turn off the Dictionary lookups when you use gestures or force click, creating the clear and efficient environment for your Mac experience.

1. Disable Dictionary shortcut in System settings

I suggest you identify all the possible ways to disable the Dictionary on your Mac. I’m totally convinced it’s better to start with simple things. As an example, if you want to become a pro Mac user, start with keyboard shortcuts for Mac, then it’ll be easier for you to master other peculiarities of macOS.

That’s why I decided to start our list of disabling Dictionary methods with the shortcut in System Settings:

1. Open the Apple menu ➙ go to the System Settings.
2. Choose Trackpad from the left panel ➙ select Point & Click option.
3. Find Look up & data detectors feature and disable it.

2. Get rid of Dictionary from Spotlight search

If you’re a frequent user of Spotlight Search, you know how annoying can be Dictionary popups  when you type a word in a search bar and don’t need its definition at the moment. As the Dictionary is one of the built-in Mac’s programs, try to understand how to change startup apps on Mac to be able to manage with them.

I’d like to explain you in details how to eliminate Dictionary entries from Spotlight search on your Mac:

1. Go to the Apple menu ➙ open the System Settings.
2. Choose Spotlight from the menu.
3. Find Dictionary in the list of categories and disable it.

3. Remove Dictionary app

If you’ve ever been interested in the question of how to delete default apps on Mac, you know that it’s a bit complicated issue, as these programs are protected and created to remain on your device. But don’t worry, there’s always a way out, and I prepared possible solutions for you right here.

Try to use Terminal to remove the Dictionary app from your Mac:

1. Restart your Mac into Recovery Mode.
2. Open Finder ➙ go to Applications folder ➙ select Utilities.
3. Choose Terminal ➙ enter defaults write com.apple.spotlight DictionaryLookupEnabled NO.
4. Restart your Mac normally.

Let’s speak about the pitfalls: 

 

Our team would like to warn you that the above-mentioned method interferes with the macOS System Integrity Protection, which is a real risk for your Mac’s security. Thus, i’s better to try this method if you’re a pro Mac’s user only.

 

Also, you can try to use third-party tools as MacKeeper’s Smart Uninstaller to eliminate the Dictionary app from your Mac, but be very careful, as due to macOS high protection, most tools fail to do it.

4. Use third-party tools to customize Dictionary behavior

If you’re wondering how to delete the built-in Dictionary app from your Mac, I can assure you, it won’t be as easy as how to remove app from Dock on Mac. However, you can easily disable Dictionary, eliminating irritating popups without security risks. You can find possible ways to do it in the above parts of this guide. But if you’d like to use reliable third-party tools to disable the Dictionary app, I recommend you try TinkerTool.

Conclusion

Though the Dictionary is a built-in Mac’s app, it’s quite easy to disable it, which will reduce distractions during your workflow. For a better and more efficient experience, don’t hesitate to use MacKeeper’s StopAd tool to get rid of intrusive ads and notifications in your browser. Stay focused on what really matters while working with your Mac!