cite
SYT
/saɪt/
To quote (a passage, book, or author) as evidence for or justification of an argument or statement, especially in a scholarly work.
Implies formal attribution to avoid plagiarism and support claims.
The story behind the word. The word 'cite' comes from the Latin 'citare', meaning 'to rouse, call upon, summon'. In its original sense, it was about calling someone to court or calling forth a witness. By the 15th century, it began to be used in the sense of 'calling forth' a passage or author as evidence, much like summoning a witness to support an argument in writing.
Word relationships
- quote: To repeat words exactly, often with quotation marks.
- reference: To refer to a source, often in a bibliography or footnotes.
- attribute: To credit someone with a work or idea.
Commonly confused with
- site: 'Site' refers to a location or website. 'Cite' is about referencing sources.
- sight: 'Sight' refers to the ability to see or something seen.
Word family
- citation (noun): A quotation from or reference to a book, paper, or author.
Collocations
- cite sources
- cite evidence
- cite an author
- properly cite
Example sentences
- "Remember to properly cite all your sources to avoid plagiarism." A professor instructing students.
- "The study cites several previous experiments to support its conclusions." A researcher writing a paper.
Memory hook
When you CITE a source, you are 'calling' it to support your argument. Call to support
When not to use
Do not use 'cite' for simply mentioning something; it specifically means to formally reference a source.
Fun facts
- The legal term 'citation' for a summons or a traffic ticket shares the same etymological root, reflecting the idea of 'calling forth' a person to court.
Related words
Explore more words
citation, substantiate, attribution, adduce, back up, acknowledge
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.