cite
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to quote (a passage, book, author, etc.), especially as an authority.
He cited the Constitution in his defense.
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to mention in support, proof, or confirmation; refer to as an example.
He cited many instances of abuse of power.
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to summon officially or authoritatively to appear in court.
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to call to mind; recall.
citing my gratitude to him.
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Military. to mention (a soldier, unit, etc.) in orders, as for gallantry.
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to commend, as for outstanding service, hard work, or devotion to duty.
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to summon or call; rouse to action.
noun
verb
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to quote or refer to (a passage, book, or author) in substantiation as an authority, proof, or example
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to mention or commend (a soldier, etc) for outstanding bravery or meritorious action
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to summon to appear before a court of law
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to enumerate
he cited the king's virtues
Other Word Forms
- citable adjective
- citeable adjective
- citer noun
- noncitable adjective
- nonciteable adjective
- uncitable adjective
- unciteable adjective
- uncited adjective
Etymology
Origin of cite1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin citāre “to hurry, set in motion, summon before a court,” frequentative of ciēre “to move, set in motion”
Origin of cite2
An Americanism dating back to 1940–45; by shortening
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Johnson’s office cited long-standing House precedent, noting that the Rotunda is typically reserved for presidents, former members of Congress, military leaders, and Supreme Court justices.
From Salon
The term itself “is a beautiful word,” he is fond of saying, and he often cites the example of President William McKinley, who levied tariffs to generate revenue before the nation had an income tax.
From Salon
Wolff, a political newcomer, is a Chartered Financial Analyst, real estate investor and former hedge manager who cites his experience building a home and auto insurance brokerage for financial services firm Capital One.
From Los Angeles Times
The managed care company reported a surprise quarterly loss and issued dismal guidance for the current fiscal year, citing the implementation of a new Medicaid contract and underperformance in its Medicare Advantage Part D product.
From Barron's
William Blair analyst Jonathan Ho upgraded the stock to Outperform from Market Perform, citing the boost in traffic that Fastly’s cloud platform is getting from large-language models and AI agents.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
