What does "cite" mean?
A citation.
Cite
/saɪt/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A citation.
- Grammar: cite is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: mention, quote, reference, summon.
- Useful contrasts: unmentioned, unreferenced, copying process.
- Usage evidence: To cite usage against rule, in a constructed language, is insane.
How to use "cite"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cite" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cite" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cite" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cite" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cite" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "mention" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cite", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A citation. informal
"We used the number of cites as a rough measure of the significance of each published paper."
- 2 a short note recognizing a source of information or of a quoted passage wordnet
Verb
- 1 To quote; to repeat, as a passage from a book, or the words of another. transitive
"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."
- 2 call in an official matter, such as to attend court wordnet
- 3 To mention; to make mention of. transitive
"Until then, the Sunak administration remains a study in ineffectuality on multiple fronts, leading Goldsmith to cite, not unreasonably, “a kind of paralysis”."
- 4 advance evidence for wordnet
- 5 To mention; to make mention of.; To mention by way of explanation. transitive
"Citing the risk involved with being out as a gay person and a union activist while simultaneously dealing with racism, Susan notes that there are no out gays or lesbians of color in her local, though its membership is about 80 percent people of color."
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 commend wordnet
- 7 To list the source(s) from which one took information, words or literary or verbal context.
- 8 repeat a passage from wordnet
- 9 To summon officially or authoritatively to appear in court. transitive
"According to the tribe’s chairman, rangers cited five of the demonstrators, who had traveled to Nevada from New York, Washington, California and the European country of Malta. The chairman did not say what they were cited for."
- 10 refer to for illustration or proof wordnet
- 11 make reference to wordnet
- 12 refer to wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"To cite usage against rule, in a constructed language, is insane."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cite"?
Common synonyms include: mention, quote, reference, summon, abduce, accuse.
How do you use "cite" in a sentence?
To cite usage against rule, in a constructed language, is insane.
How do you pronounce "cite"?
Pronounced /saɪt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Old French citer, from Latin citare (“to cause to move, excite, summon”), frequentative of ciēre (“to rouse, excite, call”). Sense 4 is the original one.
Etymology 2
From the first syllable of citation. Analogous to quote, from quotation.