cite
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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cites,
present (3rd person singular)
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cited,
past participle, past
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citing
present participle
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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
Derived Forms
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citernoun
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citableadjective
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citeableadjective
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noncitableadjective
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nonciteableadjective
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uncitableadjective
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unciteableadjective
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uncitedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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citesimple
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citessimple
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have citedperfect
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has citedperfect
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am citingprogressive
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are citingprogressive
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is citingprogressive
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have been citingperfect progressive
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has been citingperfect progressive
Past
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citedsimple
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had citedperfect
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was citingprogressive
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were citingprogressive
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had been citingperfect progressive
Future
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
Explanation
To cite something means to do right by whoever said it and give them credit — for instance, if you add a brilliant statement to a paper but you’re not the one who originally wrote it, you should cite, or point to, the original author. Using cite with the meaning "to reference" or "to note" is just one of several similar uses. A military or other official report can cite someone for an outstanding act of service, and a legal representative can cite individuals, or summon them, to show up in court. To cite a source when writing or verbally repeating something first spoken by someone else is to give a "citation" or "notation" that gives credit where credit is due.
Vocabulary lists containing cite
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 2
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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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.
See Examples For:
They cite the Indonesian company’s geothermal and nickel mining-related impairments and weaker operating assumptions across segments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
To cite just one example, Barron’s recently quoted an analyst saying that the stock market on average declines during August.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
The filings cite timelines in which the cities failed to complete or stopped responding to state feedback about revisions or shortcomings in their housing elements, calling the planning documents now “years overdue.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
The Iranians cite this aspect of the MOU to justify their attacks on certain commercial vessels.
From Slate ● Jul. 15, 2026
“Please, Dr. Z, cite away,” said Mr. Lemoncello.
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
He cites Japan as a classic example of a place where "you're breaking a lot more norms by doing something like that in public", adding that Scandinavia is similar.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
Among other holdings, Aschenbrenner was a very early investor in Anthropic and in the letter to investors, he cites its potential IPO in the third quarter of this year as a significant catalyst.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
The statistics Parker cites put U.S. students in the top quantile.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
Consumer Watchdog also cites secrecy surrounding the telematics companies’ proprietary algorithms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
To get a better sense of the decimation, McAuliffe looked at the Authentic Osage Indian Roll Book, which cites the deaths of many of the original allotted members of the tribe.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
A Japanese defense white paper cited growing military coordination between China, Russia and North Korea as a heightened security risk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Lumentum CEO Michael Hurlston put it plainly at a Paris conference in July, according to remarks cited by Tom’s Hardware.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
Belt also cited frustration felt by many Democrats about their party's current path.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
TfL says it monitors enforcement activity around headphone use, but that complaints where headphones and music are cited are decreasing.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
That one out of eleven women will develop breast cancer is a much cited statistic.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
He declined to comment further, citing ongoing court proceedings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
And on Thursday, Sweetgreen announced a lowered outlook for the year, citing dwindling sales resulting from consumer fears over cyclospora even though it doesn’t serve iceberg lettuce.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
The federation said it had "greatly benefited" from Fifa's programmes, citing investment in development and infrastructure.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
TV station owners and its lobbying group the National Assn. of Broadcasters have been clamoring for a change in the rule, citing the changes in technology that have occurred since the ownership limit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
He had a resident give the injections in their place, and on August 27, 1963, the three doctors wrote a resignation letter citing unethical research practices.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
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.
