ditto

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈdɪt.oʊ/
• American: DIT-oh

Origin

From Italian 'ditto', derived from Latin 'dictus' (meaning 'said')

Meanings

1. (noun) The same thing again; a copy; a repeat of what was said or done before
2. (adverb) As stated before; likewise; as mentioned previously

Example Sentences

1. "I love pizza." "Ditto!" (meaning "I love pizza too!")
2. The first three items cost $10 each, ditto for the next two.
3. She shared her concerns about the project, and her colleagues expressed ditto sentiments.

Related Words

• Forms:
  • dittoed (verb, past tense)
  • dittoing (verb, present participle)
  • dittos (plural noun)
• Synonyms:
  • same
  • likewise
  • as above
  • the same
  • similarly

Memory Tricks

1. Think of "dit-TWO" - it means saying something TWICE
2. Remember the " symbol (quotation marks) - in old documents, ditto marks (") were used to indicate repetition
3. Think of copying machines - ditto machines were early copiers making duplicate copies

Usage Notes

• Often abbreviated as "do." in formal writing
• Commonly used in casual conversation to agree with or repeat a previous statement
• Can be considered informal in professional contexts