citation

American  

[sahy-tey-shuhn] / saɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

1. Military. mention of a soldier or a unit in orders, usually for gallantry.

   She received a presidential citation.

2. any award or commendation, as for outstanding service, hard work, or devotion to duty, especially a formal letter or statement recounting a person's achievements.

   Synonyms:

   kudos, reward, laurel, honor, award

3. a summons, especially to appear in court.

4. a document containing such a summons.

5. the act of citing or quoting a reference to an authority or a precedent.

6. a passage cited; quotation.

   Synonyms:

   quote, extract, passage, excerpt

7. Also a quotation showing a particular word or phrase in context.

8. Also mention or enumeration.

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citation British  

/ ˈsaɪtətərɪ, -trɪ, saɪˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the quoting of a book or author in support of a fact

2. a passage or source cited for this purpose

3. a listing or recounting, as of facts

4. an official commendation or award, esp for bravery or outstanding service, work, etc, usually in the form of a formal statement made in public

5. law

   1. an official summons to appear in court

   2. the document containing such a summons

6. law the quoting of decided cases to serve as guidance to a court

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Other Word Forms

• citational adjective
• citatory adjective
• noncitation noun
• precitation noun

Etymology

Origin of citation

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English citacio(u)n, from Late Latin citātiōn- (stem of citātiō ), equivalent to Latin citāt(us), past participle of citāre “to set in motion, call before a court” + -iōn- noun suffix; cite ¹ , -ion

Explanation

If you hear you’re getting a citation, wait before bragging about it. A citation can be an official award, but it can also mean something less thrilling, like a summons to appear in court. If you climb a tree and rescue a frightened cat, the mayor might present you with a citation for bravery. If you're hurrying to the ceremony and your mom speeds and gets a traffic citation, her insurance company might raise her premiums. Citation comes from the Latin citationem, which means “to call forward.” You can think of the mayor calling you forward to receive your plaque, or the judge calling your mom forward to receive her fine. A citation can also be a quote, like a passage in a newspaper article describing your cat-saving feat as "an act of heroism."

Example Sentences

Hugely influential, that paper has been cited in 5,845 others as of Tuesday, according to citation tracker the Web of Science.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

In late May, he told a Toledo court he wanted to contest the citation because of the F-150’s driving technology.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

Cohen: I want to pick up on Henry’s comments about companies’ differentiated success in implementing AI, and Rajiv’s citation of the MIT study indicating that many companies are just spending money without seeing value.

From Barron's • Jan. 9, 2026

Every driver who is ticketed by the CHP for going over 100 mph, regardless of their driving record, has their citation automatically forwarded to the DMV’s Driver Safety Branch under the program launched last month.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 7, 2026

The crowd gradually became quiet to hear the Emperor’s citation.

From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks

Related Words

• commendation
• summons