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Cite, Sight, and Site
As homophones—words that sound alike but are distinct— cite, sight, and site are easily confused, but they have different meanings, uses, and origins.
Cite is most often encountered in the sense of "to name in a citation"—that is, a line or short section taken from a piece of writing or a speech; it may also mean "to mention as an example" or "to order to appear in a court of law." Cite is from the Latin citare, "to rouse, call on, summon," source too of citation and recite.
Most of the senses of sight are concerned with seeing. A wonderful spectacle might be described as a sight, as might the general capacity to see anything ("my sight is not as good as it once was"). Sight is also used in a number of fixed phrases, such as "out of sight, out of mind," "sight unseen," and "set one's sights on." Sight comes from Old English gesiht, meaning "the faculty or act of sight, thing seen."
Site is most often concerned with location; it is related to situate, "to locate," and situation, "relative position or combination of circumstances at a particular moment." A building site is the place where a building is, or will be, located. In contemporary English, site is frequently used as a shortened form of website, to refer to the location of a group of web pages. Site comes from Latin situs, meaning "place, position, site."
Associating citation with cite, eyesight with sight, and situate with site may be helpful in applying these correctly.
Examples of site in a Sentence
Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
The Charlotte exhibition will work in tandem to promote other sites and museums highlighting the Carolinas’ role in the Revolutionary War.
—Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026
State officials conducted multiple site visits at three of ARC’s largest centers after a client died in July 2025 at Riverplace, where Shirley worked.
—Alex Acquisto, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
The future journalist, also the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana’s Youth of the Year, shot video of the construction site to show club members who couldn’t be there.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for site
Cite this Entry
“Site.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/site. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
site
noun
