Definition

1. Noun:
   • A passage or expression that is quoted or cited: A "quotation" is a group of words taken from a text or speech and repeated by someone other than the original author or speaker.
   • The practice of quoting from books or plays etc.: "Quotation" can refer to the act or convention of using someone else's words.
   • A statement of the current market price of a security or commodity: In finance and commerce, a "quotation" is a formal statement setting the price at which something is offered for sale.
   • A short note recognizing a source of information: This meaning is synonymous with "citation," referring to an acknowledgment of a source used in a piece of writing.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Cited Passage): Her speech began with a quotation from the national constitution. The book is filled with humorous quotations from famous comedians.

• Noun (Act of Quoting): Excessive quotation without original analysis can weaken an academic paper. The article relies heavily on quotation from historical documents.

• Noun (Price Statement): We are waiting for a quotation from the contractor before we can approve the budget. The broker provided a real-time stock quotation.

• Noun (Source Citation): All quotations in your thesis must have a proper citation. The publisher checked the manuscript for accurate quotation of sources.

Advanced Usage

• "Quotation marks": The punctuation marks (" ") or (' ') used to indicate the beginning and end of a quoted passage in writing. Remember to enclose direct speech in quotation marks.

• In extended or metaphorical use: The concept can be applied to non-textual things that are borrowed or referenced. The film's score is a quotation of several classical themes.

Variants and Related Words

• Quote (verb/noun): A more informal variant for both the act of quoting and the quoted passage itself. He likes to quote Shakespeare. / That's a famous quote.

• Quotable (adjective): Worthy of being quoted. The politician made several highly quotable statements during the interview.

• Quotationary (noun, rare): A collection of quotations.

Synonyms

• Citation: A reference to a source, especially in academic work.
• Excerpt: A short extract from a text, which may or may not be a direct quotation.
• Price quote: Specifically for the financial/business sense.
• Saying: A short, commonly known expression (often overlaps with famous quotations).

Related Phrases

• "Quotation for": Used when requesting or providing a price estimate for a specific job or item. We need a quotation for office cleaning services.

• "Direct quotation": The exact reproduction of words from a source. Use a direct quotation when the original wording is particularly powerful.

• "Indirect quotation": Reporting what someone said without using their exact words (also called reported speech). An indirect quotation does not require quotation marks.

Related Idioms

• "A chapter and verse quotation": A very precise and detailed reference or quote, often implying thorough proof. (Derived from the practice of quoting biblical passages by chapter and verse).

Noun

1. the practice of quoting from books or plays etc.
   • since he lacks originality he must rely on quotation
2. a statement of the current market price of a security or commodity
3. a passage or expression that is quoted or cited
4. a short note recognizing a source of information or of a quoted passage
   • the student's essay failed to list several important citations
   • the acknowledgments are usually printed at the front of a book
   • the article includes mention of similar clinical cases