Quotation
A passage repeated verbatim from a written or spoken source, with attribution.
A quotation is a passage of speech or writing reproduced exactly as it was originally given, accompanied by a credit to its source. The word implies both fidelity to the original and recognition of the speaker. A quotation can be a single phrase or a paragraph; what matters is that the wording is verbatim and the speaker is named.
Quotation differs from paraphrase in that it commits to the exact words, and from allusion in that it explicitly invites the reader to compare the new text with its source.
In everyday speech, 'quote' is used as a synonym for quotation, especially as a noun: 'I have a quote about courage.' Style guides traditionally preferred 'quotation' for the noun and 'quote' for the verb, but the line has eroded.
“To be, or not to be — that is the question.”
Keep reading the glossary
Verb vs noun in traditional usage — but modern style treats both as nouns.
Restating someone's words in your own — credit still required, quotation marks not.
A formal reference that lets a reader locate the source of a quote.
The act of naming the original speaker or writer of a quote.