Dictionary

citation en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌsaɪˈteɪʃən/ (General-American)
• [ˌsaɪˈtʰeɪʃn̩] (General-American)
• /ˌsaɪˈteɪʃn̩/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English citacioun, from Old French citation, from Latin citātiō. By surface analysis, cite + -ation.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) An official summons or notice given to a person to appear.
   • In late September, over a three-day period, Placer County conducted 183 stops among riders, some involving groups, which led to 30 citations and 25 e-motorcycles being towed. 2025 October 9, Denzen Cortez, “Placer County enforces e-bike and e-motorcycle regulations to curb reckless riding”, in KCRA:
   • No citation was issued upon this appeal returnable to the next term of this court, nor was the record filed and the cause docketed during that term. On the 29th of May, 1865, however, a citation was issued, returnable at this term, and service of this citation was acknowledged by the present district attorney; and the writ was returned and the record filed at this term, under an agreement between the district attorney and the attorney for the claimants, to submit the cause upon printed briefs. 1851, “United States Reports/Volume 70”, in Castro v. United States, United States Supreme Court:
2. (countable, uncountable) The paper containing such summons or notice.
3. (countable, uncountable) The act of citing a passage from a text, or from another person, using the exact words of the original text or speech and giving credit to the original by referencing.
4. (countable, uncountable) An entry in a list of sources from which information was taken, typically following a prescribed bibliographical style; a reference.
5. (countable, uncountable) An instance of having had one's work cited.
   • She has over 1,000 citations.
6. (countable, uncountable) The passage or words quoted; a quotation.
7. (countable, uncountable) A quotation with attached bibliographical details demonstrating the use of a particular lexical item in a dictionary, especially a dictionary on historical principles.
   • Historically, target words were garnered through focused reading programs and citations were handwritten on slips of paper which were collated alphabetically and stored in drawers for ready access (much like old-fashioned library catalogues). 2018, James Lambert, “A multitude of ‘lishes’: The nomenclature of hybridity”, in English World-Wide, page 3:
8. (countable, uncountable) Enumeration; mention.
   • It's a simple citation of facts.
9. (countable, uncountable) A reference to decided cases, or books of authority, to prove a point in law.
10. (countable, uncountable) A commendation in recognition of some achievement, or a formal statement of an achievement.

Forms

Deriveds

citation cord · parallel citation · miscitation · case citation · citation needed · metacitation · citation cartel · undercitation · citationless · autocitation · citational · coercive citation · string citation · citation form · self-citation · noncitation · co-citation · overcitation · neutral citation

Relateds

cite · attestation

Synonyms

summons · citation · counting · listing · writ of summons · numeration · citation · telling · invocation · numbering · telling · cite · invocation · quotation · enumeration · quote · subpoena · numbering

Translations (63)

es citatorio (an official summons) · da citering (the act of citing a passage from a book) · de ehrenvolle Erwähnung (a commendation in recognition of some achievement, or a formal statement of an achievement) · tr tadat (enumeration) · ru упомина́ние (a reference to decided cases, or books of authority) · ru ссы́лка (a reference to decided cases, or books of authority) · es cita (the act of citing a passage from a book) · de Zitieren (the act of citing a passage from a book) · mi kupu hautoa (a commendation in recognition of some achievement, or a formal statement of an achievement) · ca cita (a reference to decided cases, or books of authority) · nl vermelding (enumeration) · el εύφημος μνεία (a commendation in recognition of some achievement, or a formal statement of an achievement) · hu hivatkozás (a reference to decided cases, or books of authority) · ru цити́рование (the act of citing a passage from a book) · ru пове́стка (an official summons) · el παραπομπή (the act of citing a passage from a book) · tr alıntılama (the act of citing a passage from a book) · el απαρίθμηση (enumeration) · ta மேற்கோள் (the act of citing a passage from a book) · ar شَاهِد ((lexicography) a quotation with attached bibliographical details) · tr zikir (enumeration) · ca cita (the act of citing a passage from a book) · hu beidézés (an official summons) · de Aufzählung (enumeration) · pt citação (the act of citing a passage from a book) · es citatoria (an official summons) · ro citat (the act of citing a passage from a book) · el κλήτευση (an official summons) · hu idézés (the act of citing a passage from a book) · ro citare (the act of citing a passage from a book) · nl citaat (the act of citing a passage from a book) · da citation (the act of citing a passage from a book) · de Vorladung (an official summons) · nl citatie (a commendation in recognition of some achievement, or a formal statement of an achievement) · el αναφορά (a reference to decided cases, or books of authority) · es citación (an official summons) · de Begründung (a commendation in recognition of some achievement, or a formal statement of an achievement) · nl bronvermelding (a reference to decided cases, or books of authority) · bg цити́ране (the act of citing a passage from a book) · nl aanhaling (the act of citing a passage from a book) · sh navod (a reference to decided cases, or books of authority) · es requisitoria (an official summons) · el παράθεση (the act of citing a passage from a book) · hu dicséret (a commendation in recognition of some achievement, or a formal statement of an achievement) · nl dagvaarding (an official summons) · fi viite (a reference to decided cases, or books of authority) · tr iktibas etme (the act of citing a passage from a book) · fo endurgeving (the act of citing a passage from a book) · el παραπομπή (a reference to decided cases, or books of authority) · el κατάλογος (enumeration) · ru вы́зов (an official summons) · bg позоваване (a reference to decided cases, or books of authority) · ca citació (the act of citing a passage from a book) · he ציטוט (the act of citing a passage from a book) · bg изброяване (enumeration) · tr alıntı yapma (the act of citing a passage from a book) · ru перечисле́ние (enumeration) · ru объявле́ние благода́рности (a commendation in recognition of some achievement, or a formal statement of an achievement) · bg призовка (an official summons) · el κλήση (an official summons) · el μνεία (the act of citing a passage from a book) · es citación (the act of citing a passage from a book) · hu idézés (an official summons)