quote

American  

[kwoht] / kwoʊt /

verb (used with object)

quotes, present (3rd person singular) quoted, past participle, past quoting present participle

1. to repeat (a passage, phrase, etc.) from a book, speech, or the like, as by way of authority, illustration, etc.

2. to repeat words from (a book, author, etc.).

3. to use a brief excerpt from.

   The composer quotes Beethoven's Fifth in his latest work.

4. to cite, offer, or bring forward as evidence or support.

5. to enclose (words) within quotation marks.

6. Commerce.

   1. to state (a price).

   2. to state the current price of.

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verb (used without object)

quotes, present (3rd person singular) quoted, past participle, past quoting present participle

1. to make a quotation or quotations, as from a book or author.

2. (used by a speaker to indicate the beginning of aquotation. )

noun

1. a quotation.

2. quotation mark.

idioms

1. quote unquote, so called; so to speak; as it were.

   If you're a liberal, quote unquote, they're suspicious of you.

quote British  

/ kwəʊt /

verb

1. to recite a quotation (from a book, play, poem, etc), esp as a means of illustrating or supporting a statement

2. (tr) to put quotation marks round (a word, phrase, etc)

3. stock exchange to state (a current market price) of (a security or commodity)

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noun

1. an informal word for quotation quotation quotation quotation

2. (often plural) an informal word for quotation mark

   put it in quotes

interjection

1. an expression used parenthetically to indicate that the words that follow it form a quotation

   the president said, quote, I shall not run for office in November, unquote

Usage

What is a basic definition of quote? Quote means to repeat the exact words of a speaker or an author. A quote is also a passage or statement repeated in this way. Quote means to cite something as a form of proof. Quote has several other senses as a verb and a noun. To quote something or someone is to repeat the exact words they said or to recite the exact words written in a book. Real-life examples: Great speakers often quote other inspiring people when making speeches. Newspapers will often quote the people they interviewed to show the reader they aren’t making things up or paraphrasing. Religious leaders will often quote the words written in a holy book when giving sermons. Used in a sentence: The speaker quoted poet John Donne when she said, “No man is an island.” In this sense, quote is a phrase, statement, or written passage that another person repeats exactly. Real-life examples: The news will report quotes of politicians, economists, scientists, and other important people. Many popular sayings and phrases are quotes. Used in a sentence: “A house divided against itself cannot stand” is a famous Abraham Lincoln quote. Quote also means to offer something as evidence or supporting facts. Real-life examples: Lawyers and judges will often quote earlier court cases when making arguments. Religious leaders or followers will frequently quote religious texts when explaining what is and isn’t acceptable behavior. Used in a sentence: The attorney quoted the earlier legal decision when she argued that the new law was unjust.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unquoted
  adjective
• outquote
  verb (used with object)
• superquote
  verb
• quoter
  noun
• requote
  verb (used with object)
• prequote
  verb (used with object)

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have quoted
  perfect
• has quoted
  perfect 3rd person singular
• has been quoting
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• am quoting
  progressive 1st person singular
• is quoting
  progressive 3rd person singular
• are quoting
  progressive
• quotes
  singular 3rd person
• have been quoting
  perfect progressive
• quoting
  participle

Past

• had quoted
  perfect
• was quoting
  progressive singular
• had been quoting
  perfect progressive
• were quoting
  progressive plural
• quoted
  simple
• quoted
  participle

Future

• will quote
  simple
• will have quoted
  perfect
• will be quoting
  progressive
• will have been quoting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of quote

First recorded in 1350–1400; 1880–85 quote for def. 9; Middle English coten, quoten, from Old French coter, from Medieval Latin quotāre “to divide into chapters and verses,” derivative of Latin quot “how many”

Explanation

If a journalist is interviewing you and you blurt out something inappropriate, you will have to ask her not to quote you on that. Sometimes the word quote is used as shorthand for quotation, a passage of speech or writing that’s repeated word for word. As a verb, to quote means to repeat someone’s words, attributing them to their originator. If you’re giving a speech on personal organization, you might want to quote Ben Franklin in it — he’s the master. When you write out a quote, you put the other person’s words in quotation marks (“Aha!”). Sometimes a price estimate is called a quote, like when a mechanic looks at your engine and gives you a quote for the cost of repair.

Example Sentences

Andreeva has thanked herself after many of her title triumphs - a twist on a quote she "stole" from rapper Snoop Dogg.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

In his memoir, Blankfein tells the story of a junior wealth adviser leaving the firm shortly after giving a quote to the New York Times, bragging about how much money he was making.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

The Angels have since contextualized that quote to point out that Moreno was talking about what fans were seeking in deciding to attend a specific game, not about their fandom in general.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026

Fans love clocking their samples from kung fu movies, shouting out “Tiger style!” from “Executioners from Shaolin,” or the definitive quote about Shaolin shadowboxing teaming up with the Wu-Tang sword style: It could be dangerous!

From Salon • May 31, 2026

“That doesn’t do much for me. Just...Have you ever heard that Willa Cather quote? ‘I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do.’”

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

Related Words

• cite
• name
• recall
• refer to