# quote

/ˈkwoʊt/ (US) · /kwˈəʊt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/quote
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to repeat words

verb · CEFR B1 · General-service

to repeat the exact words that someone else said or wrote.

For teachers: to repeat or copy out a passage from a text or a statement by a person, typically with an acknowledgement of the source.

- The journalist decided to quote the president's speech in her article.
- The professor cautioned the students to quote their sources accurately to avoid any accusations of academic dishonesty.

Usage: Often takes a direct object or is followed by a 'that' clause.

### 2. to give a price

verb · CEFR B2

to tell someone how much a piece of work will cost before you start.

For teachers: to state a fixed price for a specific task or service to be provided.

- The mechanic quoted me three hundred dollars to fix the car's brakes.
- The contractor quoted a competitive rate for the renovation, including the cost of all raw materials and labour.

### 3. repeated words

noun · CEFR B1 · General-service

a sentence or phrase that is taken from a book or speech and repeated.

For teachers: a passage or expression that is cited or repeated.

- My favourite quote is from a famous poem about the sea.
- The author opened every chapter with an inspirational quote from a different classical philosopher.

### 4. estimated price

noun · CEFR B2

a document or statement that shows how much a job will cost.

For teachers: a formal statement setting out the estimated cost for a particular job or service.

- We asked three different companies for a quote before choosing a builder.
- After reviewing the initial quote, the board requested a more detailed breakdown of the projected expenses.

### 5. punctuation marks

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

the marks (" ") used around words to show that someone is speaking.

For teachers: a shortened form of 'quotation mark'; the symbols used to enclose direct speech or a cited text.

- You need to put quotes around the dialogue in your story.
- The editor noted that the writer had used single quotes instead of double quotes for the protagonist's internal monologue.

Teaching tip: In British English, these are more formally known as 'inverted commas'.

### 6. starting a citation

interjection · CEFR B2 · Informal

a word you say out loud to show you are about to repeat someone's exact words.

For teachers: used in spoken English to signal the beginning of a direct quotation.

- He said, quote, 'I will never go back there again,' and walked away.
- The speaker began by saying, quote, 'The future belongs to those who prepare for it today,' unquote.

Usage: Often paired with 'unquote' to mark the end of the cited speech.

## Examples

- She included a famous quote in her essay.
- The journalist used a direct quote from the mayor to ensure the report was accurate and fair.
- While the speaker provided several insightful quotes from historical figures, the lack of original analysis left the audience feeling that the presentation was somewhat derivative.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.