ENGLISH
REFERENCE

quotes

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US //ˈkwoʊts// UK //kwˈəʊts// quotes

n. the exact words that someone else said or wrote. You use them to show you are repeating a person's message exactly.

n. the exact words repeated from a speech or text, typically attributed to the original author. Often used to provide evidence or illustrate a point in writing.


SIMPLE

She included several famous quotes in her graduation speech.

CONTEXTUAL

The journalist used direct quotes from the witness to make the news story more believable for the readers.

COMPLEX

Academic integrity requires that all direct quotes be enclosed in quotation marks and accompanied by a formal citation to credit the original source.

Synonyms
Usage

Commonly used in the plural form when referring to a collection of sayings or a list of prices.

Pitfall

He said a famous quote.He used a famous quote.A person 'says' words, but they 'use', 'give', or 'provide' a quote.

© 2026 English Reference