quotation

noun

quo·​ta·​tion kwō-ˈtā-shən 

 also  kō-

1

: something that is quoted

especially : a passage referred to, repeated, or adduced

2

a

: the act or process of quoting

b(1)

: the naming or publishing of current bids and offers or prices of securities or commodities

(2)

: the bids, offers, or prices so named or published

especially : the highest bid and lowest offer for a particular security in a given market at a given time

Synonyms

• citation
• quote

Examples of quotation in a Sentence

He gathered quotations from the trial transcript to prove his point.

a well-known quotation attributed to Abraham Lincoln

a book of humorous quotations

She relied heavily on quotation in her essays, which made them less original.

Recent Examples on the Web

Editor’s note: This story was updated soon after publication with an additional quotation about rules of engagement. —Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2025

Addressed to Dunne, the entries are full of direct quotations and written with the immediacy of fresh recollection. —Joan Didion, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025

Each feels like a conversation with a smart, honest friend, her mind full of quotations, with a natural flow that one worries a movie could botch. —Nicolas Rapold, Air Mail, 22 Mar. 2025

Each query can be customized — such as adding the state where the taxpayer lives — then cutting-and-pasting only the portions in quotations into the free generative AI chatbot of your choosing. —Tor Constantino, Mba, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing quotation

• quotation mark

Rhymes for quotation

• ablation
• bination
• carnation
• cassation
• castration
• causation
• centration
• cessation
• cetacean
• chelation
• citation
• collation

Kids Definition

quotation

noun

quo·​ta·​tion kwō-ˈtā-shən 

1

: the act or process of quoting

2

: the prices currently bid or offered for stocks, bonds, or goods

3

: something that is quoted