What does "semi-quote" mean?

A single quotation mark, ('). This is often used for a quote within a quote, as in "Tom said 'What?'"

Semi-quote

noun, verb, slang

noun, verb, slang ·Uncommon ·College level

Noun

1
A single quotation mark, ('). This is often used for a quote within a quote, as in "Tom said 'What?'"
2
A punctuation mark to indicate that the text is a semi-quote, i.e. a close paraphrase that uses some of the author's original words.
3
A phrase that is a close paraphrase that uses some of the authors original words. For instance: "A fanatic is someone who will not change his mind or the subject of discussion," according to Winston Churchill.

Verb

1
To make a close paraphrase of a quotation, using some of its words.
"Instead of magnifying the damnation of those who follow not the truth (as the village understood it), she was content to semi-quote […]"
2
To modify a quote, adapting it to different circumstances but preserving the intent. informal
"To semi-quote Shakespeare..."

"Instead of magnifying the damnation of those who follow not the truth (as the village understood it), she was content to semi-quote […]"

From semi- + quote.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.