direct quotation
Someone's exact words
Direct quotation is the reproduction of someone's exact words, enclosed in quotation marks: The witness said, "I saw him leave at noon".
Distinguished from indirect quotation or paraphrase, which conveys meaning without claiming exact wording.
In academic writing, direct quotations require citation.
In journalism, they signal verbatim speech rather than summary.
- primary sourceUnmediated evidence from events
- journalismNews gathering and dissemination
- legal testimonySworn statements in court
- verbatimIn identical wording
- word for wordExactly as spoken
exact wording · emphasis · transcription · brackets · ellipsis · footnote · speeches · sic · interviews · endnote · punctuation · authenticity · academic writing · citation style · reference list · dialogue tags · bibliography · debates
direct quotationparaphrase
Restatement in new words
paraphrasing · indirect speech · reported speech · summary · rewording
direct, directly, direction, directions, directional, director, directors, directive, directives