What does citation mean?
A citation is a formal reference to a source — a passage, book, author, or document — cited to lend weight, authority, or evidence to a statement. It dominates scholarly writing, where careful citation practices underpin credibility and allow readers to verify claims; style guides such as APA, MLA, and Chicago prescribe exact formats. Beyond academia, citation has two other well-established senses: an official commendation honoring bravery or distinguished service, often awarded publicly, and a legal summons to appear before a court, familiar to drivers who receive a citation for a traffic violation. Derived from Latin citare, meaning "to summon" or "to call upon," the word retains that sense of formally calling something into evidence. Whether acknowledging intellectual debts, conferring honor, or initiating a legal process, citation consistently signals formality and official standing. Its ubiquity in research culture even produced the internet catchphrase "[citation needed]," a wry shorthand for an unverified claim.
nounA quotation of or explicit reference to a passage, book, or author as an authority or in support of a point; also an official commendation for bravery or achievement, or an official summons to appear before a court.
- A quotation from or explicit reference to a text, author, or work, especially as support or authority in scholarly writing
- An official commendation, especially for bravery or meritorious service
- A summons to appear before a court, especially for a minor offense such as a traffic violation
"The paper earned widespread attention for its rigorous citation of primary sources."
"Every claim in her dissertation was supported by a citation to the original study."
"The firefighter received a citation for his bravery during the warehouse blaze."
Standard regular plural. Commonly used in academic contexts ("the paper contains forty citations") and in legal/administrative contexts ("he accumulated several parking citations").
"Her bibliography listed more than two hundred citations spanning three centuries of scholarship."
The phrase "[citation needed]" became one of the internet's most beloved running jokes — born on Wikipedia as a polite way of saying "prove it."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of citation
Citation entered English in the late Middle English period, borrowed via Old French from the Latin verb citare, meaning "to summon, urge, or call upon." Citare itself was a frequentative form of ciere, "to rouse or set in motion." The word's original legal sense — a summons to appear before authorities — survives today alongside the later scholarly sense of quoting an authority, and the honorific sense of a written commendation. It shares its Latin root with cite, recite, incite, and excite, all of which involve calling forth or stirring something up.
Related word forms
How citation is actually used
In academic and legal contexts, citation carries a precise technical meaning governed by style guides (APA, MLA, Chicago) or statutes. In everyday use it most commonly appears in the plural or in phrases like "parking citation," which in North America often substitutes for what Britons would call a "ticket." The commendation sense is formal and typically reserved for military or civic honors.
Easily confused with citation
"Site" means a location or place (a building site, a website), while "citation" is a reference to a source or an official commendation or summons.
"Sight" refers to the ability to see or something seen, whereas "citation" is a formal reference, award, or legal summons.