: 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.
Caity Weaver et al.… wins on the basketball court, ditto at dominoes …—Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone… everyone in Group A will square off against each other. Ditto for Group B.—Igor Mello
Igor MelloBreakfast buffet. No problem. Reasonable rates. Ditto.—advertisement in U.S. News
advertisement in U.S. News
dittoed; dittoing; dittos
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
Gary Guthrie
especially
: to restate in support or agreement : echo
A resident dittoed the council members' comments. —Gwen Davis
Gwen Davis "I think we did the best job we could," [pilot Bill] Bowman said … . [Paramedic Jim] Rhinehimer dittoed that. —Greg Noble
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
Katherine Paterson
plural dittos
1
a
: 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
Charles Dickens
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
Anthony TrollopeVery early on, one begins to suspect that this new creature [a child] isn't just a ditto of ourselves …—Adrienne Jacoby
Adrienne Jacoby… his apartment, a mirror ditto of ours without the furnishings …—Dagoberto Gilb
Dagoberto Gilb2
or ditto mark
: the inverted commas or apostrophes used to symbolize a ditto
: 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
thespinoff.co.nz
Synonyms
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
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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 WebSarah 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
Phred Dvorak, WSJ, 7 Mar. 2022
The dramatic setting seemed less overwrought somehow, given the quality of the food—ditto the balletic service.
—Jay McInerney, Town & Country, 30 Mar. 2023
And ditto the above comment re: leadership.
—David Meyer, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2021
Be sure to try the courgette blossoms stuffed with ricotta, taleggio and black olives, ditto the pumpkin and rosemary risotto with roasted tofu.
—Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023
She’s obsessed with the chiffon corset dresses worn with biker shorts; ditto the asymmetric skirts.
—Alice Newbold, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2022
If Colossal proves successful on reincarnating the woolly mammoth—ditto the thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian tiger—expect a variety of new ethical questions to arise on how to handle the creature and potential reintroduction issues.
—Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 30 Jan. 2023
There’s a bit of humorous hopelessness to her, ditto the fact that her time machine is actually a tanning bed in the backroom of her favorite nail salon.
—Michael Nordine, Variety, 23 Sep. 2022
The restaurants are open on limited days and hours; ditto the winery tasting rooms.
—Lettie Teague, WSJ, 12 May 2022
Gary Trust, Billboard, 10 Mar. 2023
See More
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
Verb
Many of South Asia’s power grids are linked together already; ditto the Gulf nations of the Middle East; and Africa has several regional networks, says Philippe Lienhart, an expert on power grids at EDF who is leading the interconnection study for the project formed at the Glasgow summit.
—Phred Dvorak, WSJ, 7 Mar. 2022
The dramatic setting seemed less overwrought somehow, given the quality of the food—ditto the balletic service.
—Jay McInerney, Town & Country, 30 Mar. 2023
And ditto the above comment re: leadership.
—David Meyer, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2021
Be sure to try the courgette blossoms stuffed with ricotta, taleggio and black olives, ditto the pumpkin and rosemary risotto with roasted tofu.
—Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023
She’s obsessed with the chiffon corset dresses worn with biker shorts; ditto the asymmetric skirts.
—Alice Newbold, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2022
If Colossal proves successful on reincarnating the woolly mammoth—ditto the thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian tiger—expect a variety of new ethical questions to arise on how to handle the creature and potential reintroduction issues.
—Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 30 Jan. 2023
There’s a bit of humorous hopelessness to her, ditto the fact that her time machine is actually a tanning bed in the backroom of her favorite nail salon.
—Michael Nordine, Variety, 23 Sep. 2022
The restaurants are open on limited days and hours; ditto the winery tasting rooms.
—Lettie Teague, WSJ, 12 May 2022
Adjective
Or, put another way, and to reference a movie from the early ’90s this time, ditto.
—Gary Trust, Billboard, 10 Mar. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ditto.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
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
Phrases Containing ditto
Articles Related to ditto
Dictionary Entries Near ditto
Cite this Entry
“Ditto.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ditto. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
ditto
noun
dit·to
ˈdit-ō
plural dittos
1
: another of the same thing mentioned before or above
—used to avoid repeating a word
lost: one shirt (white); ditto (blue)
2
: a mark composed of a pair of quotation marks or apostrophes used as a symbol for the word ditto
More from Merriam-Webster on ditto
Nglish: Translation of ditto for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of ditto for Arabic Speakers
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