Last updated: October 28, 2026
This page explains what information Star Dictionary (stardict.org) collects when you visit, why, and what control you have over it. We are a small, independent words reference, so we collect as little as possible. Nothing here is designed to track you as a person.
The short version
- You can read every page on this site without creating an account or telling us who you are.
- Our web server keeps standard technical logs, as almost every website does.
- Cookies may be set by this site and by any analytics or advertising partners we use. You can control them.
- Embedded videos or social posts may let their providers collect data under their own policies.
- We do not sell your personal data.
- You can ask us what we hold about you and ask us to delete it.
Who “we” are
“We”, “us” and “this site” mean Star Dictionary, the independent website at stardict.org that publishes word meanings, origins, idioms, slang and translations. When this policy refers to “partners”, it means outside services we may use to run, measure or fund the site.
Information collected automatically
Server logs
When your browser requests a page, our hosting server records basic technical details. This is standard for any website and helps us keep the site working and secure. A typical log entry can include:
- Your IP address
- The date and time of the request
- The page or file requested
- Your browser type and operating system
- The page that referred you here, if your browser shares it
We use these logs to fix errors, understand load on the server, and spot abuse such as automated scraping or attacks. We do not use them to build profiles of individual readers.
Cookies and similar technologies
Cookies are small text files a website stores in your browser. Similar technologies include local storage and tracking pixels. We group them by purpose:
| Type | What it does | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | Keeps the site working, for example remembering a display setting or your cookie choices | This site |
| Analytics | Counts visits and shows which pages are useful, usually in aggregated form | This site or an analytics partner |
| Advertising | Shows ads and measures whether they work, which helps keep the site free | Advertising partners, if we use them |
| Embedded content | Loads videos, social posts or other material hosted elsewhere | The provider of that content |
Where the law requires your consent for non-essential cookies, we will ask before setting them. You can change your mind at any time through any cookie settings option on the site or by clearing cookies in your browser.
Analytics
We may use an analytics service, such as Google Analytics or a privacy-focused alternative, to understand how readers use the site. That tells us things like which entries are popular, which searches bring people here, and whether pages load properly on phones.
Analytics data is used in aggregate. Where the service allows it, we turn on settings that limit data collection, such as shortening IP addresses. We do not try to identify individual visitors from analytics reports.
Advertising
To keep Star Dictionary free to read, we may show ads from third-party advertising networks. These networks may use cookies and device identifiers to:
- Show ads and limit how often you see the same one
- Measure ad performance
- Show ads based on your interests, where you have allowed this
Advertising partners process this data under their own privacy policies. If we work with a network such as Google AdSense, you can manage personalised ads through that company’s ad settings, and many networks also offer opt-outs through industry tools. If you decline personalised advertising, you may still see ads, but they will not be based on your browsing.
Embedded content from other sites
Some pages may include material hosted elsewhere, such as YouTube videos or posts from social networks. Embedded content behaves as if you had visited the other site directly. The provider may set cookies, log your IP address and track your interaction with the embed, especially if you are signed in to their service.
We do not control what those providers collect. Their own privacy policies apply. Where we can, we use privacy-enhanced embed options or load embeds only after you click.
Tools that run in your browser
Some features on this site, such as word tools, converters or lookups, run entirely in your browser. Where a tool is described as running in your browser, the text you type is processed on your own device and is not sent to our server or stored by us.
If a tool ever needs to send data to a server to work, we will say so on that tool’s page.
Information you choose to send us
If you contact us through a form on the site, we receive whatever you include, such as your name, email address and message. We use it only to reply and to deal with your request. We do not add you to a mailing list unless you specifically sign up for one.
What we do not do
- We do not sell your personal data.
- We do not share your personal data for money or other valuable consideration.
- We do not ask for sensitive information such as health, financial or government ID details.
- We do not knowingly collect data from children.
How long we keep data
We keep information only as long as we need it:
- Server logs: normally no longer than 90 days, unless we need specific entries longer to investigate a security problem.
- Analytics data: kept in aggregated form. Where the service lets us set a retention period, we choose the shortest practical option.
- Messages you send us: kept while we deal with your request, then deleted when no longer needed.
- Cookies: each cookie has its own expiry. Essential cookies usually last a session or a few months. Partner cookies follow the partner’s settings.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, laws such as the GDPR in the European Union and the UK, or state privacy laws in the United States such as California’s CCPA, give you rights over your personal data. We aim to honour these requests for every reader, wherever you are. You can ask us to:
- Tell you whether we hold personal data about you and what it is
- Correct data that is wrong
- Delete your data
- Restrict or object to certain uses of your data
- Receive a copy of data you provided, in a portable format
- Withdraw consent you previously gave, for example for cookies
To make a request, use the contact option on this site. We may need to ask for some details to confirm the request is genuine. We will not treat you differently for using your rights.
Because we hold very little personal data, and most of it is technical logs that do not show your name, there may sometimes be nothing to find. If so, we will tell you.
Controlling tracking yourself
You do not have to wait for us. You can:
- Block or delete cookies in your browser settings
- Use private or incognito browsing
- Turn on your browser’s Global Privacy Control signal, which we treat as an opt-out of sale or sharing where the law recognises it
- Use the ad preference tools offered by advertising companies
Blocking essential cookies may stop some site features, such as saved settings, from working.
Security
We take reasonable steps to protect the data we hold. The site is served over HTTPS, access to server logs is limited, and we keep software up to date. No website can promise perfect security, but we collect little data partly so there is little to put at risk.
International visitors
This site and the services we use may store or process data in countries other than yours. Where we use outside providers, we choose established services that offer recognised safeguards for international data transfers.
Children
Star Dictionary is a general reference for a general audience. It is not aimed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their personal data. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.
Changes to this policy
We will update this page if the way we handle data changes, for example if we add or remove an analytics or advertising partner. The “Last updated” date at the top shows when it last changed. Significant changes will be made clear on the site.
Contact
If you have a question about this policy or want to use any of your rights, please reach us through the contact option on this site. We read every message and will reply as soon as we can.