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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
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Word History
First Known Use
circa 1859, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of quotation mark was
circa 1859
Articles Related to quotation mark
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 22 Nov. 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
Nglish: Translation of quotation mark for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about quotation mark
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