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Multiple Choice

Which term is used in Bluebook practice to refer back to a source previously cited in full?

Supra is the shorthand used in Bluebook practice to refer back to an authority that has already been cited in full earlier in the document. It signals to the reader that the same source is being relied on again, so the writer doesn’t repeat the entire citation. You’d typically pair supra with a pinpoint page or section to direct readers to the exact location, or simply use it to indicate the repeat reference after a full citation has appeared above. This is different from infra, which points to material that will be discussed later in the document (below), not to something cited earlier. It’s also different from id., which can only substitute for the immediately preceding citation to the same source, and from see, which is just a signal that a citation is being introduced rather than a shorthand for an earlier authority. So when you want to refer back to a source you already fully cited, using supra is the appropriate, precise choice.

Supra is the shorthand used in Bluebook practice to refer back to an authority that has already been cited in full earlier in the document. It signals to the reader that the same source is being relied on again, so the writer doesn’t repeat the entire citation. You’d typically pair supra with a pinpoint page or section to direct readers to the exact location, or simply use it to indicate the repeat reference after a full citation has appeared above. This is different from infra, which points to material that will be discussed later in the document (below), not to something cited earlier. It’s also different from id., which can only substitute for the immediately preceding citation to the same source, and from see, which is just a signal that a citation is being introduced rather than a shorthand for an earlier authority. So when you want to refer back to a source you already fully cited, using supra is the appropriate, precise choice.