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noun

quotation

kwoh-TAYSHN
noun
1
Someone else's words repeated exactly, usually from a book, speech, or famous person.
"She opened her speech with a quotation from Maya Angelou."
"The article was full of quotations from anonymous sources."
2
A stated price for goods or a service.
"We got three quotations before choosing a builder."

How to Use Quotation

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither a repeated piece of someone else's words, or a stated price for a job.

Common mistake

"Quote" and "quotation" mean the same thing, but "quotation" is generally more formal.

Easily confused with

Word Forms

quotations plural

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Fill the Gap

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She opened her speech with a _____ from Maya Angelou.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin quotātiō, tied to quotāre ("to number" or "to mark"); the "repeated words" sense developed in English from the 17th century onward.

Related Words

Rhymes for quotation

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Definitions: FreeDict original editorial