Citation Needed (π)
Books emoji used in the 2010s Reddit format "[bold claim] [citation needed]." The format is the Wikipedia editorial mark repurposed: flag that the writer is making an unsupported claim without writing a paragraph of rebuttal.
Common stacks
The other signifiers this entry pairs with most often on TikTok and other comment sections:
About this entry
The format comes from Wikipedia's editorial notation for unsourced claims. Reddit adopted it around 2011 as a one-line rebuttal β "I am not going to write a paragraph but I want to flag that this is unsupported."
When to use
- Quick skeptical commentary on an unsupported claim.
When not to use
- Sincere debate β [citation needed] is dismissive, not engaging.
Cultural notes
The format spread to Twitter and TikTok comments by the late 2010s. By 2026 it has aged into default skeptic vocabulary β readers parse "claim [citation needed]" instantly.
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