What does quoted mean?
“Quoted” is most often the past tense and past participle of “quote,” meaning to reproduce a person’s words or a written passage, usually with quotation marks to show that the language belongs to the original source. It can also be used attributively: a “quoted price” or “quoted figure” is one that a person or organization has stated, not necessarily a final or guaranteed price. In journalism, “was quoted as saying” introduces words attributed to a source, while in music “a quoted theme” refers to material borrowed or recalled from another work. The form is common in formal writing, business, academic discussion, and quotation-based analysis. It matters because it signals the status of information: whether language is being reproduced, attributed, or simply presented as a stated value. Though everyday speakers often use “quote” as the base form, “quoted” is required after an auxiliary or when modifying a noun, as in “the quoted passage” and “the price quoted yesterday.”
The past tense and past participle of quote: to repeat or attribute someone’s words, or to reproduce a passage from a written source.
"The witness quoted a warning from the report."
It is normally used with an auxiliary in formal writing, as in “has quoted” and “was quoted.”
Enclosed or presented as a quotation; describing a price, figure, or other value that has been stated.
"The quoted estimate was valid for only thirty days."
This participial use is especially common in editorial, academic, financial, and commercial contexts.
Quotation marks give quoted words a visible boundary, showing where one person’s speech begins and ends.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of quoted
English borrowed the verb from late Latin quotare, meaning “to number” or “to count,” ultimately from Latin quot, “how many.” Its original sense referred to marking the number of words in a passage, after which it developed toward the modern meanings of indicating quoted material and reproducing words exactly.
Related word forms
How quoted is actually used
Quoted is standard in formal, academic, journalistic, and business contexts. A quoted price is a figure stated by a seller or other source, but it may still change; phrases such as “quoted price” and “quoted figures” should not automatically be understood as final or guaranteed.
Easily confused with quoted
Quote is the base verb and noun, while quoted is its past tense, past participle, or participial adjective.