quotation mark

noun

: one of a pair of punctuation marks " " or ' ' used chiefly to indicate the beginning and the end of a quotation in which the exact phraseology of another or of a text is directly cited

Examples of quotation mark in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Phrases that appear inside quotation marks represent a subject’s exact words as heard by the reporter, written in a transcript, quoted in a police report or captured on a recording. Gina Barton, USA TODAY, 26 Sep. 2024 Grammarly for Free Confused about which characters go inside quotation marks and which go outside? Brenda Stolyar Matt Jancer, WIRED, 9 Aug. 2024 After Business Insider reported on missing quotation marks in his wife Neri Oxman’s Ph.D dissertation for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ackman turned his contempt toward the news outlet’s parent Axel Springer SE. Annie Massa, Fortune, 13 Jan. 2024 Separately, Gay had drawn widespread criticism after accusations of plagiarism emerged, including multiple instances of missing quotation marks and citations. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 2 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for quotation mark 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quotation mark.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1859, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of quotation mark was circa 1859

Dictionary Entries Near quotation mark

Cite this Entry

“Quotation mark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quotation%20mark. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

quotation mark

noun
: one of a pair of punctuation marks " " or ' ' used chiefly to indicate the beginning and the end of a direct quotation

More from Merriam-Webster on quotation mark

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