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.

---

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

• quotes
  plural

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)

---

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

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• quotes
  plural

Participles

• quoting
  present
• quoted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• quote
  simple
• quotes
  simple
• have quoted
  perfect
• has quoted
  perfect
• am quoting
  progressive
• are quoting
  progressive
• is quoting
  progressive
• have been quoting
  perfect progressive
• has been quoting
  perfect progressive

Past

• quoted
  simple
• had quoted
  perfect
• was quoting
  progressive
• were quoting
  progressive
• had been quoting
  perfect progressive

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

See Examples For:

quote quotes quoted quoting

To quote some very succinct words from Macklemore, something I never believed I’d do but am very fortunate to be able to: “When the news cycle moves on, which it will, don’t move with it.”

From Salon ● Sep. 21, 2026

To quote his felled primary opponent, Sen. John Cornyn, “Paxton’s a poor campaigner” who’s “lazy and doesn’t raise money. And he basically is not offering a very compelling case for his election.”

From Slate ● Sep. 21, 2026

It's an 18th Century building that now bears her name and includes a quote from her and another from his famous eulogy to her.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

In her modest office, a poster bears a famous quote from legendary Soviet rock group Kino: "Our hearts demand changes."

From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026

Whenever I quote Mother or Mrs. van Daan, I’ll write proper Dutch instead of trying to duplicate their speech.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

When Sen. Alan Simpson quotes from “Othello” in defense of Thomas, he uses Shakespeare’s lyrical authority but fails to realize that he is in fact invoking the false words of the tragedy’s villain, Iago.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

Elsewhere, Mr. Tommasini quotes the same remark from Anderson’s autobiography in two different chapters, a lapse better editing should have caught.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Mortgage borrowers with low credit scores, low down-payment amounts or “unique” personal situations are seeing quotes over 7%, Jason Madiedo, co-CEO of SimplyPMG, a mortgage lender, told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026

The paper quotes Gary as saying: "You'd give your child anything."

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

She made mocking air quotes with her fingers as she spoke the last word.

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

He says he was quoted thousands of pounds for treatment after a vet told him that a rash on his dog Louis' back was "definitely" a sign of cancer.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

Difford: Glenn has been quoted as saying that we’ve never been friends, and I think he’s probably right.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

According to prosecutors in Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir, quoted by the state news agency Anadolu, at least 63 people were detained.

From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026

Noonan quoted a friend as saying, “I think it’s creepy, in a Nazi-resonating way, any time this sort of home-and-hearth language is used by people who are essentially police.”

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026

Accompanied by a plink-a-plink up above middle C, she quoted her answer: “‘What’s the rush, Mr. Blakeslee?

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

The Times also leads with "military aid for Saudis", quoting Burnham as saying that getting oil flowing will help the cost of living.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

Whatever: This is what appeared in the Feb. 20, 1985 edition of the Oakland Tribune, quoting a UC Berkeley professor about a protest against immigration sweeps in the Bay Area.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

“Bill and I don’t agree on much, but on this we do,” Mamdani wrote this week on X, in a post quoting billionaire investor Bill Ackman criticizing the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Others have been quoting Clement Attlee, recommending "a period of silence".

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

“I’m... damaged,” he said, quoting what Malcolm had said to him many times.

From "Confessions of a Murder Suspect" by James Patterson

Related Words

• cite
• name
• recall
• refer to