Who owns Merriam-Webster?
Merriam-Webster is owned by Britannica (the United States).[1]
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Evidence: About Us and Our Brands - Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Corporate Site (archived copy). Last checked .
Key facts
- Current owner
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. reported
- Owner HQ
- 🇺🇸 United States, Chicago
- Origin
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Founded
- 1828
- Category
- Internet & digital › Digital services › Reference & knowledge
- Last verified
- · 1 sources
About Merriam-Webster
American dictionary and language-reference publisher, established in 1828 according to its own About Us page, which calls it an Encyclopaedia Britannica company. It publishes online dictionary and thesaurus sites, apps, word games and print titles including Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and dictionaries for English-language learners. The Britannica corporate site lists it as one of the group's four brands.
Ownership timeline of Merriam-Webster
- Current owner Britannica [1] reported
Where Merriam-Webster sits in Britannica
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
Open the full Britannica ownership tree →
See the full Britannica brand portfolio (4) →
Other brands owned by Britannica
Britannica controls 4 brands on Brandtree, 4 of them in internet & digital.
Also in internet & digital
Other brands in reference & knowledge, and who owns them
The 14 brands in reference & knowledge on Brandtree belong to 8 owners. The largest is Baidu, with 3; Britannica has 3.
| Brand | Owner | Owner based in |
|---|---|---|
| Baidu Experience | Baidu | 🇨🇳 China |
| Wikimedia Commons | Wikimedia Foundation | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Podchaser | Acast | 🇸🇪 Sweden |
| PetMD | Chewy | 🇺🇸 United States |
| OccasionGenius | Hostelworld Group | 🇮🇪 Ireland |
| Youdao | NetEase | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong |
| Penger.no | Schibsted Media | 🇳🇴 Norway |
| Baidu Knows | Baidu | 🇨🇳 China |
About the owner: Britannica
Britannica is a privately held company headquartered in Chicago, United States. Brandtree records 4 brands under its control.
Privately held reference and education publisher whose corporate site lists four brands: Britannica, Merriam-Webster, Britannica Education and Melingo. Its global headquarters is at 325 N. LaSalle Street in Chicago. The pages used name no shareholders, so no ownership is recorded for the company itself.
🇺🇸 Merriam-Webster and other American brands
Brandtree records a controlling owner for 2,399 brands that began in the United States. 461 of them (19%) are now controlled by a company headquartered in another country; Merriam-Webster is not one of them.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of Merriam-Webster?
The parent company of Merriam-Webster is Britannica, a privately held company headquartered in the United States.
Is Merriam-Webster American?
Yes. Merriam-Webster originated in the United States in 1828 and its owner, Britannica, is also headquartered in the United States.
Is Merriam-Webster still owned by Britannica?
Yes. As of 3 October 2026, Merriam-Webster is still owned by Britannica. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Sources (1) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] About Us and Our Brands - Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Corporate Site — Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., Official document; retrieved 3 October 2026. The original address no longer opens it, so the link goes to an archived copy (original address).
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