Wrong default language in dictionary.app when accessed via Spotlight

Question

Wrong default language in dictionary.app when accessed via Spotlight

I speak several languages, so I loaded those languages into my MacBook Pro's dictionary.

Most of the time, I want to access the English definition of a word via Spotlight rather than opening Dictionary.app. Until about a year ago, that worked properly.

About a year ago, Spotlight started showing me the French definition of the words I enter instead of the English definition. Here's a sample screenshot:

Nothing in the Language & Region or Spotlight system preferences tells me how to fix this.

How do I make Spotlight default once again to English definitions of words?

MacBook Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.5)

Posted on May 22, 2016 5:02 PM

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Answer 1

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

122,560 points

May 23, 2016 5:14 PM in response to LuigiBenetton

Have you checked the order of the dictionaries in the preferences for Dictionary.app? I don't know if it makes a difference for spotlight, but worth a look...

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Answer 2

May 23, 2016 6:33 PM in response to Tom Gewecke

Thanks for your reply, Tom.

Dictionary preferences don't make a difference, unfortunately. Here's a screen shot of what I have. I played with the order just now, and it doesn't make a difference. Nor does it help if I remove the two French dictionaries from this list.

On a different topic, some time ago Apple removed the ability to reorder the types of objects Spotlight displays... but maybe that's a matter for an enhancement request for Apple.

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