cite
pronunciation
How to pronounce cite in British English:
UK [saɪt]
How to pronounce cite in American English:
US [saɪt]
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- Verb:
- make reference to
- commend
- refer to
- repeat a passage from
- refer to for illustration or proof
- advance evidence for
- call in an official matter, such as to attend court
Word Origin
- cite
- cite: [15] Latin ciēre or cīre meant ‘move’ (it was related to Greek kīnein ‘move’, source of English kinetic and cinema). From its past participle, citus, was formed the verb citāre, meaning ‘cause to move’, and hence ‘call, summon’. This passed into English (via Old French citer), as cite ‘summon officially’.In the 16th century this came to be applied metaphorically to the ‘calling forth’ of a particular passage of writing, author, etc as an example or proof of what one is saying – hence the modern sense ‘quote’. The same Latin verb lies behind a range of other English verbs, including excite, incite, recite, and solicit.=> cinema, excite, incite, kinetic, recite, solicit
- cite (v.)
- mid-15c., "to summon," from Old French citer "to summon" (14c.), from Latin citare "to summon, urge, call; put in sudden motion, call forward; rouse, excite," frequentative of ciere "to move, set in motion, stir, rouse, call, invite" from PIE root *keie- "to set in motion, to move to and fro" (cognates: Sanskrit cyavate "stirs himself, goes;" Greek kinein "to move, set in motion; change, stir up," kinymai "move myself;" Gothic haitan "call, be called;" Old English hatan "command, call"). Sense of "calling forth a passage of writing" is first attested 1530s. Related: Cited; citing.
Synonym
Example
- 1. In popularity polls , they seldom cite any businessmen .
- 2. They can cite many missteps .
- 3. They cite a trend of earlier springs and warmer autumns .
- 4. Both sides of the debate will eagerly cite libya the next time mass murder seems imminent .
- 5. Women tended to rate empathy higher in importance and to cite illness in family and friends as affecting empathy .