[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/citation/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [C](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/c/) / citation

# citation

noun (a citation, citations; citation uncountable)

«citation» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A line of words quoted from a book, speech or writer (a quotation). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/citation/#m1)
2. A reference that tells the reader exactly where information came from (author, title, page, website). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/citation/#m2)
3. An official written statement praising someone, for example for bravery. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/citation/#m3)
4. (law, US) An official order to appear in court or a ticket for breaking a rule, such as a parking ticket. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/citation/#m4)

### In the lessons

In school writing and projects, giving a citation shows where your facts came from, so you are honest and not copying. Soldiers, firefighters and police may get a citation for bravery. In the USA a driver can get a «traffic citation». It tells the reader where words came from or that someone has been officially named.

### Examples

- Every fact in your project needs a citation. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/citation/#x1)
- The essay began with a citation from Martin Luther King Jr. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/citation/#x2)
- The firefighter received a citation for bravery. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/citation/#x3)
- The police officer gave the driver a citation for speeding. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/citation/#x4)
- The citation listed the author, the year and the page. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/citation/#x5)
- Copying without a citation is called plagiarism. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/citation/#x6)
- Scientists count how many citations their papers get. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/citation/#x7)

### Note

Countable: a citation, citations. Verb: «cite» (to quote or mention a source). Homophone trap: «cite» sounds like «site» (a place, a website) and «sight» (seeing).

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «citation» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/citation/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«citation» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/citation.html) on Mova free.