The theoretical and practical aspects of applying lexicographic sources in court proceedings have been analysed. The aim of the research is to identify the specifics of using dictionaries in the practice of judicial interpretation and to assess their efficiency through the lens of doctrine and regulatory frameworks, both domestic and foreign. It has been concluded that the presence of an open list of lexicographic sources provides judges in several English-speaking countries with broad opportunities for selecting reference materials; however, at the same time, the lack of unified approaches to ranking meanings directly in the dictionary entry can create difficulties in interpreting specific concepts. It is noted that one of the factors contributing to the increased efficiency of using dictionaries in judicial interpretation practices is multilingualism in legal proceedings, which is characteristic, for example, of the European Union and the Russian Federation.