quotation

American  

[kwoh-tey-shuhn] / kwoʊˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

1. something that is quoted; a passage quoted from a book, speech, etc..

   a speech full of quotations from Lincoln's letters.

   Synonyms:

   selection, citation, extract

2. the act or practice of quoting.

3. Commerce.

   1. the statement of the current or market price of a commodity or security.

   2. the price so stated.

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quotation British  

/ kwəʊˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. a phrase or passage from a book, poem, play, etc, remembered and spoken, esp to illustrate succinctly or support a point or an argument

2. the act or habit of quoting from books, plays, poems, etc

3. commerce a statement of the current market price of a security or commodity

4. an estimate of costs submitted by a contractor to a prospective client; tender

5. stock exchange registration granted to a company or governmental body, enabling the shares and other securities of the company or body to be officially listed and traded

6. printing a large block of type metal that is less than type-high and is used to fill up spaces in type pages

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Other Word Forms

• prequotation
  noun
• self-quotation
  noun

Etymology

Origin of quotation

1525–35; 1810–15 quotation for def. 3; < Medieval Latin quotātiōn- (stem of quotātiō ), equivalent to quotāt ( us ) (past participle of quotāre; see quote) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

A quotation is the exact words of someone else. When you like what someone said, put their quotation in your writing. Quotations are a big part of writing. People use quotations when something is well-said. A quotation from someone famous or smart can help make your own point sound better. When you use a quotation, always remember to put it in quotation marks and give proper credit. Also, don't change any of the words: a quotation should be exactly what the person said or wrote.

Example Sentences

Quotation: “If I don’t get reelected because of this, that’s OK.”

From Seattle Times • Jun. 9, 2022

Quotation: the exact words of an author or speaker.

From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021

Quotation marks go back to the ancient Greeks, she says.

From The Guardian • Mar. 14, 2017

Quotation of the Week “I’d expect it to be big-boy football.”

From New York Times • Jan. 9, 2012

Quotation marks were added or removed to standardize usage.

From From the Car Behind by Flagg, James Montgomery

Related Words

• excerpt
• passage
• quote
• reference