citation
/sʌɪˈteɪʃ(ə)n
/noun
1A quotation from or reference to a book, paper, or author, especially in a scholarly work: the majority of the citations are to work published during the past twenty years...
- Not that the book lacks citations, references and footnotes.
- The endnotes are primarily scholarly citations of sources, while the footnotes amplify, explain, or illuminate details or side stories.
- In 1905, he published five landmark papers without footnotes or citations.
Synonyms
quotation, quote, extract, excerpt, passage, line, piece;
North American cite
1.1 Law A reference to a previous case, used as guidance in the trying of comparable cases or in support of an argument: this journal contains citations from all jurisdictions...
- Each patent abstract provides a list of citations to previous patents, that is, the ‘prior art’ upon which the current patent builds.
- The notice shall state concisely the section which is said to be unconstitutional or ultra vires, a brief statement of the argument to be made, and the citation of any cases which are relied upon for support of the argument.
- If foreign decisions were freely citable, it would mean that any judge wanting a supporting citation had only to troll deeply enough in the world's corpus juris to find it.
Synonyms
reference, allusion
2A mention of a praiseworthy act in an official report, especially that of a member of the armed forces in wartime: the citation described him as an officer of extreme gallantry...
- Those records include the official after-action report, citations for Bronze Stars awarded for heroism that day and now the Task Force 115 report.
- He has received many citations and official commendations and published two volumes of collected poems he wrote.
- The citation praises in particular the penthouse flat which it describes as a tour de force.
Synonyms
commendation, award, honour;
mention, honourable mention
2.1A note accompanying an award, describing the reasons for it: a Nobel citation...
- The remainder of the story is best told in the citation accompanying the award of his Air Force Cross.
- The citation accompanying the award said he was tasked with the disposal of two sea mines.
- He read the citation accompanying the award and added his own praise.
3North American A summons to appear in court: a traffic citation...
- A citation requires a court appearance with the punishment and fine being determined by the judge upon conviction.
- Indeed, he was told he would face a contempt of court citation if he disclosed either his complaint or the censure.
- The police prosecutor has used it in court to look up the driving history of people who were appealing traffic citations.
Synonyms
summons, subpoena, writ, court order, process;
Latin subpoena ad testificandum
Origin
Middle English (in sense 2): from Old French, from Latin citatio(n-), from citare 'cite'.