quotation
gb/kwoʊtˈeɪʃən/ us/kwoʊtˈeɪʃən/
B1
English
~ 8700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
words repeated from a source
A group of words that someone said or wrote first, which another person repeats exactly, often saying who said it.
Usage pattern:
a quotation from [someone] / from [a book]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "quotation" with "citation". A quotation is the exact words you repeat; a citation is the reference that shows where the quotation or idea comes from. Learners also sometimes use "quotation" when they mean "price quote" for work or services; in that case, use the money sense of "quotation" or simply "quote".
Synonyms
quote (More common in everyday speech and less formal; otherwise the meaning is the same.)
Antonyms
paraphrase (A paraphrase gives the same idea in different words, not the exact original words like a quotation does.)
Collocations
famous quotation
|direct quotation
|brief quotation
|include a quotation
|take a quotation from
Themes
language
|education
|media
|communication
Examples
- The book begins with a famous quotation from Nelson Mandela.
- She used a short quotation from the report to support her argument.
- Please add a proper quotation from the article instead of just summarizing it.
- The teacher asked us to explain the meaning of the quotation on the board.
- Each chapter starts with a literary quotation related to its theme.
Learner examples
- I wrote a quotation from the story in my notebook.
- The teacher asked for a quotation from the text.
- There is a long quotation from the president in the newspaper.
- He began his speech with a short quotation.
- I do not understand this quotation from Shakespeare.
Noun
B2
entity
2
estimated price for goods or services
A statement from a company that tells you how much you will have to pay for some work or goods before you agree to buy them.
Usage pattern:
give [someone] a quotation for [work/service]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes mix this money meaning with the "words" meaning and say things like *"I need a quote from the electrician"* but then think of "quotation" only as words from a book. In business contexts, both "quote" and "quotation" can mean a price; in everyday speech, "quote" is more common.
Synonyms
estimate (Very close in meaning, but "estimate" is slightly more general and common; "quotation" often suggests a more formal, possibly written, business price.)
Antonyms
fixed price (A fixed price is already decided and will not change, while a quotation is an initial price that may change or be negotiated.)
Collocations
ask for a quotation
|get a quotation
|written quotation
|detailed quotation
|competitive quotation
Themes
business
|money
|finance
Examples
- The builder gave us a written quotation for the kitchen renovation.
- Please send me a detailed quotation for the printing job by Friday.
- We asked three companies for quotations before choosing the cheapest one.
- Their quotation included the cost of materials but not labor.
- The quotation is valid for thirty days from the date of issue.
Learner examples
- The company sent us a quotation for the new windows.
- I called the plumber and asked for a quotation.
- We will compare three quotations before we decide.
- This quotation is too high for our budget.
- They gave us a quotation for painting the house.
Noun
formal
C1
action
3
the act of quoting words
The action of taking someone’s exact words and using them in your own speech or writing.
Usage pattern:
the quotation of [someone's] words / of [a source]
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that this abstract, formal sense exists and may try to use the more concrete sense ("a quotation" as a group of words) where an uncountable, abstract use is expected ("quotation" as a practice). In academic writing, "quotation" can be both countable and uncountable, which can cause article errors.
Synonyms
quoting (A gerund/verb form used more in everyday language; "quotation" sounds more formal and is common in academic or legal writing.)
Antonyms
original composition (Original composition uses your own words, while quotation uses someone else's exact words.)
Collocations
accurate quotation
|faithful quotation
|quotation of sources
|quotation and citation
|rules on quotation
Themes
language
|academia
|communication
|education
Examples
- Accurate quotation of sources is essential in academic writing.
- The report contains extensive quotation of internal company emails.
- Copyright law allows limited quotation for purposes such as review or criticism.
- The article relied more on paraphrase than on direct quotation.
- Their policy on the quotation of social media posts is quite strict.
Learner examples
- The teacher talked about the correct quotation of sources.
- In this essay, too much quotation is a problem.
- Good writing has a balance between quotation and your own ideas.
- There are rules for the quotation of online texts.
- The paper had errors in the quotation of the interview.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
4
listed market price of a security
The price of a stock or other financial product that is shown on a market list at a particular time.
Usage pattern:
the quotation for [a stock/currency]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this technical financial meaning with the more general business meaning of a price "quotation" from a supplier. In finance, a quotation is usually an impersonal market price, not a personalised offer.
Synonyms
market price (A broader term for the price at which something trades; "quotation" is more specific to how this price is formally listed or reported in financial markets.)
Antonyms
face value (Face value is the value printed on a financial instrument, while a quotation is the actual price it trades for on the market.)
Collocations
stock quotation
|market quotation
|closing quotation
|currency quotation
Themes
finance
|business
Examples
- The stock exchange publishes the latest quotation for each listed company.
- Investors watch the daily quotation of the currency closely.
- The bond is trading above its stock exchange quotation this morning.
- You can check the real-time quotation of the fund online.
- Yesterday’s closing quotation was higher than analysts expected.
Learner examples
- The newspaper shows the daily quotation for many stocks.
- We checked the quotation of the dollar before our trip.
- The quotation for this company’s shares is very low now.
- He follows the stock quotation every day on his phone.
- The fund’s quotation fell after the news.
Grammar
Dictionary form
quotation
IPA
GB/kwoʊtˈeɪʃən/
US/kwoʊtˈeɪʃən/
Syllables & stress
quo - ta - tion (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ta)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: quotation
- Plural: quotation, quotations
Word family
Expressions
air quotation marks
1/ˈɛɹ kwoʊtˈeɪʃən mˈɑɹks/
fixed phrase
informal
hand gesture for "quotes"
A hand movement used while speaking, where a person moves their fingers like small quotation marks in the air to show that a word or phrase is not serious or is from someone else.
Examples
- He made air quotation marks when he said the word "expert" to show he did not really believe it.
- She raised her fingers in air quotation marks around the phrase "healthy choice".
- The comedian used big air quotation marks to make fun of the slogan.
in quotation marks
1/ˈɪn kwoʊtˈeɪʃən mˈɑɹks/
fixed phrase
enclosed by quotation marks
Written or printed with quotation marks around the words.
Examples
- Please write the word in quotation marks in your notebook.
- On the worksheet, all new vocabulary items are shown in quotation marks.
- The phrase in quotation marks is taken directly from the report.
quotation marks
1/kwoʊtˈeɪʃən mˈɑɹks/
fixed phrase
punctuation showing quoted words
The punctuation marks (“ ” or " ") that show the exact words that someone said or wrote, or sometimes the title of something.
Examples
- Put the sentence in quotation marks because it is not your own words.
- In English we usually use double quotation marks for direct speech.
- The teacher asked the students to add quotation marks around the dialogue.