cite
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to mention something as a reason or an example to support what you are saying.
v.to mention or refer to something as an example or as proof in an argument.
Simple“The report cited a lack of funding as the main reason for the project's failure.”
In context“The economist cited several recent studies to support her claim that inflation would likely stabilise by the end of the fiscal year.”
UsageOften used with 'as' to introduce the reason or evidence.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to write or say which book, article, or person an idea or quote came from.
v.to provide a formal reference to a source of information in a piece of academic work.
Simple“You must cite all your sources at the end of your essay.”
In context“Students are required to cite their sources using a consistent style to avoid any accusations of academic dishonesty.”
UsageTransitive verb taking a direct object of the source or author.
PitfallYou must cite to the original author. You must cite the original author.The verb 'cite' is transitive and takes a direct object without the preposition 'to'.
Antonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
v.to officially order someone to appear in a court of law.
v.to summon a person officially to appear before a court or tribunal.
Simple“The witness was cited to appear in court next Tuesday.”
In context“The defendant was cited for contempt of court after repeatedly interrupting the judge during the preliminary hearing.”
UsageOften used in the passive voice in legal contexts.
- 04 C2 Proficiency
n.a short name for a formal note that says where information came from.
n.an informal shortening of 'citation', referring to a reference in a text.
Simple“Check your paper to make sure every cite is formatted correctly.”
In context“The professor noted that several cites in the bibliography were missing the publication dates.”
Teacher's tipThis noun form is much less common than the full word 'citation' and is mostly used by students or researchers in casual conversation.
Usage cite example · cite in · commonly cite
“Local officials cite a higher figure of up to 10,000 people.”
“In addition to the fear of losing the right to marry, the study's authors cite the economic and legal security brought by marriage as another reason for the increase.”
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.
From the first syllable of citation. Analogous to quote, from quotation.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.