Engineering Quotes

1,295 Engineering-related quotes – for inspiration and reflection.

Updated: 2025-05-16

This list of quotations has been compiled by members of the lab in an effort to draw attention to individuals, phrases, philosophies, and concepts from around the world and throughout history that serve to shape the thinking of engineers. Many of these quotes previously appeared, in regular rotation, on a projection screen above the door in the EDS; now you can enjoy them from wherever you are on earth. It's been suggested that, when the list hits 1,826 quotes, it should be turned into a 5-a-day app, desktop device, or calendar – let's see!

There are innumerable existing lists of similar quotes; in particular, many of the quotes in the article 101 Engineering Quotes from the Minds of Innovators align well with the ethos of the Engineering Design Studio, and appear on our list, as well.

Note 1: Many of the quotes below have been altered to be gender-neutral. If you're seeking an original quote, please double-check and cross-reference with available sources if you wish to use a quote in its original phrasing.

Note 2: Quotes, in general, suffer from the messy issue of accidental and intentional mis-attribution. The list below contains quotes that are intended to be correctly attributed to an individual who either first said the phrase or who became most known for the phrase (even if it might have been spoken by another human, as well).