June 5, 2016

TheFreeDictionary.com Turns 13!

HUNTINGDON VALLEY, PA., June 5, 2016 -- Farlex, Inc., publisher of the world's most comprehensive online collection of reference information, announced today that its flagship site, www.TheFreeDictionary.com, has reached an exciting new milestone: its 13th birthday.

In the early days of The Free Dictionary, the site’s founders were frequently asked the same question: "Why bother to build TheFreeDictionary.com when more established dictionary websites already exist?"

"After more than 8 billion visits, our users have provided the best answer to that question," said Steve Boymel, co-founder and vice president of Farlex, Inc. He said a quote from entrepreneur MJ DeMarco comes to mind:

"AltaVista existed before Google.
Folgers existed before Starbucks.
Budweiser existed before Sam Adams.
MySpace existed before Facebook.
Rio MP3 player existed before iPod.

Where would we be if we listened to all the naysayers who said, ’Why bother—somebody’s already doing it!’ It's always being done, you can do it better. "

The Free Dictionary began its life as a simple dictionary catering to U.S. customers and has since evolved into one of the most comprehensive and authoritative reference sites online, serving a global network of users. Today, the site offers access to multilingual dictionary content in more than 40 languages; medical, legal, financial, and computing dictionaries; a thesaurus; several encyclopedias; and much more.

No other website offers such a diverse and extensive collection of reference material.

While the way in which people access information continues to evolve, the number of visitors to TheFreeDictionary.com has continued to increase exponentially. The site reached 5 billion visitors in 2013, and it is on pace to double that number in a fraction of the time.

"We work every day to make The Free Dictionary even more comprehensive and accessible. Our mission is never finished," said Nick Simonov, co-founder and president of Farlex, Inc. "As The Free Dictionary continues to grow, so does the number of users who make it their go-to dictionary site."

About TheFreeDictionary.com:

TheFreeDictionary.com is one of the most comprehensive reference resources online. Launched in 2003, TheFreeDictionary.com has grown to include medical, legal, financial, and computer dictionaries, a multilingual dictionary tool, a thesaurus, several encyclopedias, a literature reference library, and a search engine. A prime online vehicle for active information seekers, TheFreeDictionary.com has been accessed by more than 8 billion visitors. Apps powered by The Free Dictionary have been downloaded by tens of millions of users, with top ratings after hundreds of thousands of reviews.

About Farlex, Inc.:

Farlex, Inc. (www.farlex.com) is an independent, privately held provider of online reference products based in Huntingdon Valley. Founded in 2004, Farlex, Inc. provides innovative, easy-to-use reference and learning tools. Farlex's flagship websites, www.TheFreeDictionary.com and www.TheFreeLibrary.com, contain over 25 million pages of books, periodicals, and reference information from the world's most respected sources.