quotation

noun

quo·​ta·​tion kwō-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce quotation (audio)
 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

Example Sentences

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 The Oregonian put a shiny gloss of progress on government projects, disregarding the Black residents forced to move Story by Rob Davis The Oregonian/OregonLive Content warning: This story contains quotations of racist views and statements The Oregonian printed. Beth Nakamura, The Oregonian - OregonLive.com, 30 May 2023 This label is printed with a quotation, in English, from Roman Architect Vitruvius (De architectura 3.1.3)*, while the labels on the 100 Double Magnums show an etymological tree of the word wine. Cathrine Todd, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2023 In order to try and read the quotations, visitors will need to walk in many different directions on the path — which is a new campus entrance at the foot of the stairs from the new UC San Diego Blue Line trolley stop at central campus station. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2023 A lot of agencies don’t know how to get clients outside of the request for quotation/pitch process. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 9 June 2022 His eye for pretension, arrogance, and self-deception is filet-knife sharp and the Reagan-era details are impeccable, from the reuse of a bit of Tangerine Dream’s score from 1983’s Risky Business to the quotation of a 1970s Saturday-morning Schoolhouse Rock! Alison Willmore, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2021 Avoid using the term other than in direct quotations. Michael Lee, Fox News, 3 May 2023 Asked to read aloud the quotation Barbara had typed on an index card and left in her handbag by the train tracks—about the necessity of living with remorse for one’s mistakes in life—her mother begins to cry. Lidija Haas, The New Republic, 20 Dec. 2022 At that time the play still included the notorious blood curse, a quotation from the Gospel of Matthew that condemns Jews for the death of Jesus and has been used for centuries by some to justify antisemitism. Michael Paulson Roderick Aichinger, New York Times, 24 Aug. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quotation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of quotation was in 1607

Dictionary Entries Near quotation

Cite this Entry

“Quotation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quotation. Accessed 4 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

quotation

noun
quo·​ta·​tion kwō-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce quotation (audio)
1
: the act or process of quoting
2
: the prices currently bid or offered for stocks, bonds, or goods
3
: something that is quoted

More from Merriam-Webster on quotation

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