What does ditto mean?
Ditto means 'the same as what has just been mentioned' and functions as both a noun and a verb. In its most traditional use, it refers to a symbol — the ditto mark, resembling a pair of small slanted quotation marks — placed beneath a word or figure in a list or table to show that the entry above applies again. As a verb, to ditto something is to repeat or copy it, as when one person's remarks are echoed by another. Informally, ditto also serves as a handy one-word reply expressing agreement or shared sentiment: if someone says they enjoyed a film, responding 'ditto' signals you feel the same way. The register ranges from neutral-technical in bookkeeping contexts to casual in conversation. Derived from Italian, the word carries a long history in commercial and clerical writing and remains a compact, expressive way to avoid needless repetition.
The same as previously stated or listed; a mark (〃) used in lists or tables to indicate repetition of the item above.
"Instead of rewriting the address on every line, the clerk filled the column with dittos."
Often used in plural informally to mean multiple repetitions.
To repeat or imitate something already said or done; to indicate agreement by echoing another's statement.
"He liked the proposal so much that several committee members simply dittoed his comments."
Standard English plural; used when referring to multiple ditto marks or instances of repetition, often informally.
"The form was full of dittos where the applicant had copied information down each row."
That little double-quote mark (〃) you've seen meaning 'the same as above' has a name — it's literally called a ditto mark, from Italian for 'said.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of ditto
Ditto comes from the Tuscan Italian word ditto, a variant of detto meaning 'said,' the past participle of dire ('to say'), which derives from Latin dicere. It entered English in the early 17th century, initially in commercial and accounting contexts to mean 'as aforesaid' or 'the same as above.' English speakers gradually reinterpreted it as a noun referring to the repetition itself, and later as a verb meaning to duplicate. Its Latin root dicere connects it to cognates such as dictate, diction, and predict.
Related word forms
How ditto is actually used
Primarily informal in everyday speech, especially when used as a standalone reply of agreement; more neutral or technical in accounting and clerical contexts where it refers to repetition marks. The noun sense is common in lists and tables; the interjection-like use is conversational.
Easily confused with ditto
Datto is not an English word but a title for certain local chiefs in parts of Southeast Asia and the Philippines, unrelated in meaning to ditto.