Between 1893 and 1895, Funk & Wagnalls published A Standard Dictionary of the English Language in New York, a two-volume work that introduced several innovative lexicographical policies. It ordered definitions according to current, rather than historical, usage and placed etymologies at the end of definitions. This approach emphasized ease of use and accessibility, making the dictionary popular with general readers and setting it apart from more historically oriented works.

The Standard Dictionary's focus on current usage influenced American poets who sought to write in a contemporary idiom, free from the constraints of historical precedent. Its accessible format made it a popular reference for writers, enabling them to engage with the living language. The dictionary's emphasis on clarity and practicality resonated with the broader trend towards realism and naturalism in American literature.