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:
He did not cite any specific story that prompted the action, claiming the outlets have long been unfair to him and never provide any positive coverage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
He likes to cite a 2008 recovery in Marseilles, France.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Along the French Riviera, they cite roughly 20 reported events between the 16th century and the early 2000s, including waves exceeding two meters.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026
My first appeal went nowhere, and the denial letter didn’t cite a reason for the decision.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
When it comes to the lure of technology and the way it stimulates people, there’s one more comparison that researchers widely cite.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
She cites prolonged energy and commodity price pressures as U.S.-Iran tensions continue as well as renewed weakness in Asian currencies against the dollar after the Fed hiked rates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
The newly unsealed filing cites internal company documents, as well as testimony from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and comments from OpenAI President Greg Brockman and ChatGPT leader Nick Turley, among others.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
The Home Office website cites World Health Organisation figures showing three million girls undergo some form, external of the procedure every year in Africa alone.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
The investigation letter also cites one internal record: a Nov. 4, 2023, email where Dean of Admissions Kristin Theis-Alvarez answered a professor’s complaint about admissions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
As an example Bernstein cites He felt it offered the best opportunity to do fundamental research in chemistry, which was what he had taken his Doctor of Philosophy degree in.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Those include Laguna Beach, Dana Point and Carlsbad, which cited coastal erosion and sand loss.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
The administrators cited unforeseen costs around the security of closed Brewdog pubs after a number of "unauthorised occupiers" gained access.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
That matters because the most widely cited recent example of “rogue” artificial intelligence turns out, on close examination, to tell a considerably less exotic story.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
A September 15 report by the Congressional Budget Office cited the hit to supplies of missile defense interceptors, "which will leave the United States with a reduced inventory of interceptors for several years."
From Barron's
Many of the counter-intuitive results cited in this book are psychological tricks similar to the above, which can induce a kind of innumeracy in even the most numerate.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
The Justice Department had sought no fewer than 80 years in prison, while Alsheikh requested five years, citing his age and his chronic medical conditions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
“We remain overweight the group and believe investors should consider adding positions even with $100-a-barrel oil prices,” William Blair energy sector analyst Neal Dingmann wrote in recent research note, citing the same double-digit free-cash-flow yields.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
As a result, the average price for a Lakers ticket could rise from $217 to $361 within the next two years, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing documents prepared for potential investors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
Volkswagen VOW3 -5.58%decrease; red down pointing triangle slashed its outlook for the year as a whole, citing worsening market conditions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
“But every one belongs to every one else,” he concluded, citing the hypnoptedic proverb.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
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.
