Semiquote

noun, verb, slang

noun, verb, slang ·Uncommon ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A single quotation mark, ('). This is often used for a quote within a quote, as in "Tom said 'What?'"
  2. 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. 3
    A partly paraphrased quotation. informal

    ""A fanatic is someone who will not change his mind or the subject of discussion" is a semiquote of Winston Churchill."

Verb
  1. 1
    To make a close paraphrase of a quotation, using some of its words.

Example

More examples

""A fanatic is someone who will not change his mind or the subject of discussion" is a semiquote of Winston Churchill."

Etymology

From semi- + quote.

Related phrases

punctuation mark

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