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

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1859, in the meaning defined above

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