Quito

American

[kee-taw] / ˈki tɔ /

noun

a city in and the capital of Ecuador, in the N part. 9,348 feet (2,849 meters) above sea level.

Quito British

/ ˈkiːtəʊ, ˈkito /

noun

the capital of Ecuador, in the north at an altitude of 2850 m (9350 ft), just south of the equator: the oldest capital in South America, existing many centuries before the Incan conquest in 1487; a cultural centre since the beginning of Spanish rule (1534); two universities. Pop: 1 514 000 (2005 est)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Tuesday’s operation came a day after Southcom commander Gen. Francis Donovan met in Quito, the capital, with the president and other senior officials to discuss expanding security cooperation against narcoterrorism.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

On Tuesday, Quito ended the stint of its own ambassador in Havana.

From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026

In its statement, Ecuador's foreign ministry said that it had "immediately" handed a an official letter of protest to the US embassy in Quito.

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026

The US Embassy in Quito did not respond to Salon’s request for comment.

From Salon • Jan. 28, 2026

“Of course, little sister. There are plenty of buses from Quito to Ibarra. I’ll see you at eleven o’clock.”

From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023