What does cited mean?
Cited is the past tense and past participle of the verb 'cite', which means to quote or refer to a book, article, person, or statement as evidence or authority. It is a staple of academic writing, where researchers cite sources to give credit and substantiate claims, and it is equally at home in law, where judges cite precedents, and in journalism, where officials may be cited as sources. Beyond quotation, 'cited' can mean mentioning something as a reason — for instance, a company might cite rising costs when announcing layoffs. The word carries a formal, authoritative tone: to say that someone 'cited' a fact is to imply that the reference was deliberate and evidentiary rather than casual. Pronounced identically to 'sighted' and 'sited' (/ˈsaɪtɪd/), it is frequently confused with them in speech, though only context can distinguish these homophones. Its Latin ancestor, citare ('to summon, arouse'), also gave English words like 'excite' and 'recite', making 'cited' part of a rich family of verbs about calling things forth.
verbPast tense and past participle of the verb 'cite': to quote or refer to a passage, book, or author as evidence or authority, especially in academic or legal writing; also to mention a source as justification for something.
- To have quoted or referenced an authority, source, or text, especially as evidence or justification.
- To have mentioned or named something as a reason or example (e.g. 'the report cited poor funding as a cause').
"The judge cited three previous cases before ruling against the defendant."
"The researcher cited several landmark studies in her literature review."
"Officials cited safety concerns when they postponed the event."
Despite sounding exactly like 'sighted' and 'sited', 'cited' comes from an ancient Latin verb meaning 'to set in motion' — every time you cite a source, you're literally calling it into action.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cited
Cited derives from the Latin verb citare, meaning 'to summon, rouse, or call upon', itself a frequentative form of ciere ('to set in motion, stir up'). The verb entered Middle English via Old French citer around the late Middle Ages, initially carrying senses of summoning or quoting formally. Over time its core sense narrowed toward referring to textual or legal authorities as evidence. Its cognates include 'excite', 'incite', 'recite', and 'resuscitate', all tracing back to the same Latin root of stirring or calling into motion.
Related word forms
How cited is actually used
Formal register, common in academic, legal, and journalistic writing. In academic contexts it typically signals scholarly attribution of sources; in legal contexts, referencing prior rulings or statutes.
Easily confused with cited
'Sited' is the past tense of 'site', meaning located or positioned somewhere, whereas 'cited' means quoted or referred to as evidence — identical pronunciation but entirely different meanings.
'Sighted' means having seen something or having vision, while 'cited' refers to quoting a source; they are near-homophones but unrelated in meaning.