ditto

adverb

dit·to | \ ˈdi-(ˌ)tō

Definition of ditto

(Entry 1 of 4)

: as before or aforesaid : in the same manner —used to indicate that a previous statement also applies to something or someone else "I'm ready for a break." "Ditto." [=so am I]The skate park was nearly empty; ditto the dance club.— Caity Weaver et al.… wins on the basketball court, ditto at dominoes … — Rolling Stone… everyone in Group A will square off against each other. Ditto for Group B.— Igor MelloBreakfast buffet. No problem. Reasonable rates. Ditto. — advertisement in U.S. News

ditto

verb

dittoed; dittoing; dittos

Definition of ditto (Entry 2 of 4)

transitive verb

1 : to repeat or imitate (something, such as a statement or an action) It's too early to know whether Southwest's move will be dittoed by other airlines.— Gary Guthrie especially : to restate in support or agreement : echo A resident dittoed the council members' comments. — Gwen Davis "I think we did the best job we could," [pilot Bill] Bowman said … . [Paramedic Jim] Rhinehimer dittoed that. — Greg Noble

2 : to copy (something, such as printed matter) on a duplicator ditto a quiz She handed out dittoed sheets of arithmetic problems.— Katherine Paterson

ditto

noun

plural dittos

Definition of ditto (Entry 3 of 4)

1a : a thing mentioned previously or above —used to avoid repeating a word Mr. Thomas Potter, then, was a clerk in the city, and Mr. Robert Smithers was a ditto in the same …— Charles Dickens —often symbolized by inverted commas or apostrophes

b : someone or something that is the same as or very similar to another "I like him, just because he isn't a ditto to every man one meets … ."— Anthony Trollope Very early on, one begins to suspect that this new creature [a child] isn't just a ditto of ourselves …— Adrienne Jacoby … his apartment, a mirror ditto of ours without the furnishings …— Dagoberto Gilb

2 or ditto mark : the inverted commas or apostrophes used to symbolize a ditto

ditto

adjective

Definition of ditto (Entry 4 of 4)

: having the same characteristics : similar It's a ditto day …, with no change in the numbers of confirmed, probable, active or recovered cases … — thespinoff.co.nz

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing ditto Learn More About ditto

Examples of ditto in a Sentence

Adverb I worry that I don't have whatever synapses you need to anticipate fun. Although I often enjoy parties, I don't look forward to them. Ditto travel, romantic dinners, even shopping. — O, The Oprah Magazine, January 2007 Work your way up through the faculty ranks, they said. Don't get pigeonholed by focusing on affirmative action or African-American studies. Ditto for women's issues. Good advice, maybe, but Simmons, 56, the new president of Brown University, never paid much attention to it. — Barbara Kantrowitz, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2001 She sinks to her knees and seizes a package, eagerly looking at the tag. It will be from her, or to her, and she will recognize her own name. But the card is blank. Ditto the next package; ditto the third. They are all blank. — Mary Tannen, New York Times Magazine, 20 Dec. 1998 Until recently most of us believed that such regimens, which usually require a personal trainer, were available only to women whose bodies are their fortune (think Madonna), or who have nothing better to do with their time (ditto). — Jennifer Newman, Elle, June 1993 Flexner is especially good at showing how misguided attempts to repair furniture can cause more problems than they solve. Using a nail instead of glue to tighten a loose leg on an old chair (as I myself have done) will often destroy the chair, by splitting the wood and ruining the joint (ditto). — David Owen, Atlantic, September 1989 David is not exactly a crank who writes to writers, although he is probably a bit of that too. I don't know how he gets his living, or whether his letters romanticize either his poverty (he reports only a hunger for books) or his passion (ditto); still, David is a free intellect, a free imagination. — Cynthia Ozick, New York Times Book Review, 25 Mar. 1984 Tuesday was spent working all day, and Wednesday was spent ditto. Verb My favorite was "Sports Collector's News" (the exact pluralization and positioning of the apostrophe I can't quite remember), a dittoed journal produced in some Wisconsin backwater by a man with a Ukrainian surname. — Alexander Wolff, Sports Illustrated, 15 Sept. 1986 since you've said what I wanted to say—only better—I will just ditto your comments in my final report Adjective another mega mall filled with chain stores selling ditto merchandise See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb The seeds did improve yield compared with the local Obatanpa variety, but Ghanaians couldn’t afford to purchase more for the following year’s crop; ditto the chemical inputs (pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers) that ensured success. — Sarah Mccoll, Smithsonian, 26 July 2017 The offensive line is decent, ditto the defensive line and the young corners. — Gary Gramling, SI.com, 8 Oct. 2017 Ditto his ability to transcend even so-so songs through the sheer force of his musical skills and personality. — George Varga, sandiegouniontribune.com, 6 Aug. 2017 Yes, chairs on wheels whiz in and out, ditto a desk, people run around in circles and bob up and down at will. — Joanne Engelhardt, The Mercury News, 31 May 2017 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The restaurants are open on limited days and hours; ditto the winery tasting rooms. — Lettie Teague, WSJ, 12 May 2022 Nadia’s tics and mannerisms are her author’s tics and mannerisms; ditto her heritage, mommy issues, former problems with addiction, and personal style. — Philippa Snow, The New Republic, 18 Apr. 2022 Fox did not reveal whether host Cat Deeley is back, or if there will be a new emcee at the helm; ditto any information on the show’s judges. — Michael Schneider, Variety, 2 Mar. 2022 All that is a distant memory for Donald and ditto the 49ers’ dominance of the Rams in sweeping the season-series for three straight years. — Jay Paris, Forbes, 28 Jan. 2022 The system of rapidly-twitching, red blood cell-size mirrors that make home projectors possible are also MEMS; ditto the nozzles on inkjet printers. — Christopher Mims, WSJ, 22 Jan. 2022 There’s a natural, conversational untidiness to Tomović’s screenplay, co-written with Tanja Sljivar, that keeps the film buoyant and convincing; ditto the giddy, easy chemistry between its expanding, uniformly fine ensemble. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Aug. 2021 The Mall of America is technically in Bloomington, a different city entirely; ditto the Minnesota State Fair, which takes place in Falcon Heights. — Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2021 Don’t miss: The menu doesn’t veer too far from the Wendy’s-McDonald’s-Burger King orbit, but the burgers are a cut above their Golden Arches brethren; ditto the fried chicken sandwich, with its crisp, peppery coating and juicy, abundant meat. — Rick Nelson, Star Tribune, 29 July 2020 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ditto.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of ditto

Adverb

1706, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1725, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1678, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1668, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for ditto

Adverb

derivative of ditto entry 3

Verb

derivative of ditto entry 3; (sense 2) from the duplicator machines using alcohol-based inks manufactured by the Ditto Corporation of Chicago, Illinois

Noun

earlier, "the aforesaid, the same," borrowed from Italian ditto, detto "said, aforesaid," from past participle of dire "to say," going back to Latin dīcere "to talk, speak, say" — more at diction

Adjective

derivative of ditto entry 3