Citation
/saɪˈteɪʃən/
Definitions
2 meaningsA written reference to a source of information.
/saɪˈteɪʃən/
A quotation from or reference to a book, paper, or author, especially in a scholarly work.
This research paper needs more citations.
💡 Simply: Imagine giving credit to someone for their ideas or words. That’s a citation—like giving someone a high five for sharing cool information! You write down their name and where you found their stuff so other people can check it out, too.
👶 For kids: It's like saying 'I got this from...' when you tell a story.
More Examples
The professor praised the student's accurate citations.
How It's Used
"The essay included numerous citations to support its arguments."
"The lawyer presented several citations of relevant case law."
A summons to appear in court.
/saɪˈteɪʃən/
An official summons to appear in court.
The driver received a citation for parking violation.
💡 Simply: Imagine a police officer giving you a ticket for breaking a rule. That ticket is a citation, which means you have to go to court!
👶 For kids: It's like a ticket from the police.
More Examples
The citation instructed him to appear in court next week.
How It's Used
"He received a citation for speeding."
From Latin *citātiōn-, citātiō 'a summoning, citation,' from citāre 'to summon, cite.'
The word has maintained a consistent meaning related to summoning or quoting since its Latin origin.
Memory tip
Think 'cite' - to mention a source; 'citation' is the act of doing so.