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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The actual prompts are in italics and quotation marks below, which can be cut-and-pasted into a free version of ChatGPT or any large language model AI. Tor Constantino, Mba, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024 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 See all Example Sentences for quotation mark 

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 22 Dec. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!