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REFERENCE

quotation

n. countable
B1 Intermediate Oxford US //kwoʊˈteɪʃən// UK //kwəʊtˈeɪʃən// quo·ta·tion Archaic General-service

n. a group of words that someone else said or wrote, which you repeat exactly. It can also mean a formal statement of how much a job will cost.

n. a passage or expression that is cited or repeated exactly from another source. In a commercial context, it refers to a formal statement of the estimated cost for a particular job or service.


SIMPLE

The article begins with a famous quotation from the president.

CONTEXTUAL

The contractor provided a detailed quotation for the kitchen renovation, including the cost of materials and labor.

COMPLEX

Scholars often debate the authenticity of this specific quotation, as it does not appear in any of the author's surviving manuscripts or personal correspondence.

Synonyms
Origin

The obsolete sense of “quota”, from Medieval Latin quotātiō, from Latin quotāre, is attested from the 15th century. The sense “fragment of verbal expression”, attested from the 17th century, may come from this source, or else from the verb quote + -ation.

Usage

Often used with the verb 'give' or 'provide' in business contexts, and 'cite' or 'use' in academic contexts.

Pitfall

He said a beautiful quotation.He shared a beautiful quotation.You do not 'say' a quotation; you 'give', 'cite', or 'provide' one, or you 'quote' someone.

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