HTML Encyclopaedia

The cite tag

The HTML container element

<cite> ... </cite>

is used for citations or references.

The meaning is unclear from the HTML standards and the tag is rarely used. The effect of including block elements within a <cite> element is unspecified, most browsers simply render image blocks unchanged and use the relevant distinct type face for text blocks.

It seems to render text (in a distinctive typeface, sometimes italic) as entered but line layout is not honoured. HTML special characters have to be escaped.

Here is an example

1==1 1<=2 1>=0

Here is the HTML for the example above

<cite>
1==1
1&lt;=2
1&gt;=0
</cite>

Notice that this is not the same as pre-formatted text.

It can also be used within running text thus: a sample of text.

Browsers

All browsers honour this tag by rendering the text in a proportionally spaced italic typeface.

ARA and MOS3 also use the distinctive typeface within the cells of included <table> block elements. OP2 does not use the distinctive typeface within enclosed <p> block elements.

See also <code>, <dfn>, <kbd>, <var>, <samp> and the general notes on text styles.

Note On many browsers this tag and the others mentioned immediately above, all have exactly the same effect. Differences are purely historical.