quote-unquote

British

interjection

an expression used before or part before and part after a quotation to identify it as such, and sometimes to dissociate the writer or speaker from it

"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.

See Examples For:

quote-unquote

Swan, herself no stranger to the wellness-podcast circuit, was careful to insert the caveat that the film is “not a quote-unquote ‘scientific study.’

From Slate ● Apr. 16, 2026

“I think this was supposed to be their first foray into quote-unquote young adult programming,” said Michel Ghanem, who writes about television.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026

“They, quote-unquote, innovated by taking what others have created and using it to build their own product,” Muller said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026

With this cast, Bravo has perfected its old-school, “Gallery Girls”-era formula, where not every cast member has to be quote-unquote interesting all the time.

From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2025

The only time I ever quote-unquote borrow something is when I need him to spot me some lunch money.

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

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