What does "quote" mean?
A statement attributed to a person; a quotation.
Quote
/kwəʊt/ intj, noun, verb
intj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A statement attributed to a person; a quotation.
- Grammar: quote is listed as intj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: citation, quotation, quotation mark, adduce.
- Useful contrasts: unquoted, final price, invoice.
- Usage evidence: I'd like a quote for the following.
How to use "quote"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "quote" 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 "quote" 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 "quote" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "quote" 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 "quote" is acting as intj, noun, verb 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 "citation" 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 "quote", 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 statement attributed to a person; a quotation.
"She loved reading quotes of famous people."
- 2 a passage or expression that is quoted or cited wordnet
- 3 A quotation mark.
- 4 a punctuation mark used to attribute the enclosed text to someone else wordnet
- 5 A summary of work to be done with a set price; a quotation.
"After going over the hefty quotes, the board decided it was cheaper to have the project executed by its own staff."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A price set and offered (by the potential seller) for a financial security or commodity; a quotation.
Verb
- 1 To repeat (the exact words of a person). transitive
"The writer quoted the president's speech."
- 2 put quote marks around wordnet
- 3 To prepare a summary of work to be done and set a price; to estimate. transitive
"Can you believe they quoted me $5,000?"
- 4 repeat a passage from wordnet
- 5 To name the current price, notably of a financial security. transitive
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 refer to for illustration or proof wordnet
- 7 To indicate verbally or by equivalent means the start of a quotation. intransitive
- 8 name the price of wordnet
- 9 To observe, to take account of. archaic
"But must our moderne Critticks envious eye Seeme thus to quote some grosse deformity?"
Intj
- 1 Used in speech to indicate the start of a quotation.
"She told me she was, quote, "too hot for you.""
Example
"I'd like a quote for the following."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "quote"?
Common synonyms include: citation, quotation, quotation mark, adduce, affirm, allege.
How do you use "quote" in a sentence?
I'd like a quote for the following.
How do you pronounce "quote"?
Pronounced /kwəʊt/.
Etymology
From Middle English quoten, coten (“to mark (a book) with chapter numbers or marginal references”), from Old French coter, from Medieval Latin quotāre (“to distinguish by numbers, number chapters”), itself from Latin quotus (“which, what number (in sequence)”), from quot (“how many”) and related to quis (“who”). The sense developed via “to give as a reference, to cite as an authority” to “to copy out exact words” (since 1680); the business sense “to state the price of a commodity” (1866) revives the etymological meaning. The noun, in the sense of “quotation,” is attested from 1885; see also usage note, below.