What does dittoing mean?
Dittoing is the act of saying the same thing again — either literally repeating words someone else has said or written, or signaling agreement by responding with 'ditto.' It is the present participle and gerund of the informal verb 'ditto,' which grew out of the older noun use of 'ditto' meaning 'the same as above,' a staple of ledgers, lists, and business correspondence since the seventeenth century. The verb retains that casual, slightly breezy flavor: you might accuse a colleague of dittoing your ideas, or admit to dittoing a previous speaker's remarks rather than composing your own. Because it often implies unoriginality or lazy agreement, the word can carry a faintly critical connotation, though among friends it can simply be a quick, good-humored way to concur. Its etymology adds charm — it traces back through Italian 'detto' ('said') to the Latin 'dicere,' making 'ditto' a distant cousin of words like 'diction' and 'predict.'
verb (gerund/present participle)The act of repeating something already said or written, or of indicating agreement by saying 'ditto'; the present participle and gerund of the verb 'ditto'.
- Repeating or copying something that has already been said or written.
- Indicating agreement or endorsement by saying 'ditto' in response to a previous statement.
"Rather than drafting a fresh memo, she was simply dittoing last quarter's announcement."
"Stop dittoing my emails back to me and add something original for once."
"Halfway through the meeting, he gave up arguing his own case and just started dittoing whatever the chairperson said."
When you say 'ditto,' you're speaking Italian without knowing it — the word comes straight from Italian 'detto,' meaning 'said.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dittoing
Dittoing comes from the verb 'ditto,' which developed in English from the noun 'ditto,' used from the early 17th century in accounting and lists to mean 'the same as above.' The noun was borrowed from Italian 'detto,' meaning 'said,' the past participle of 'dire' ('to say'), which descends from Latin 'dicere' ('to say'). This gives 'ditto' the same ultimate root as English words such as 'diction,' 'dictate,' and 'predict.'
Related word forms
How dittoing is actually used
'Dittoing' is informal and conversational in register; in formal writing it would usually be replaced by 'repeating' or 'restating.' The verb 'ditto' derives from its earlier noun use, where 'ditto' meant 'the same as above' in lists and accounts.
Easily confused with dittoing
'Data' refers to information itself, while 'dittoing' means repeating what has already been said or written.