English · Word Candidate

cite

/saɪt/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: cites

Sense 1

Meaning · English

To quote; to repeat, as a passage from a book, or the words of another.

Verb

Examples

WikiLeaks did not cause these uprisings but it certainly informed them. The dispatches revealed details of corruption and kleptocracy that many Tunisians suspected, but could not prove, and would cite as they took to the streets.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

To mention; to make mention of.

Verb

Examples

Until then, the Sunak administration remains a study in ineffectuality on multiple fronts, leading Goldsmith to cite, not unreasonably, “a kind of paralysis”.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

A citation.

NounRegister: informal

Examples

We used the number of cites as a rough measure of the significance of each published paper.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “cite” mean?

To quote; to repeat, as a passage from a book, or the words of another.

Is “cite” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.