how to quote a definition in an essay mla

The fastest and most accurate way to create MLA citations is by using Scribbr’s MLA Citation Generator. Search by book title, page URL, or journal DOI to automatically generate flawless citations, or cite manually using the simple citation forms.

MLA Formatting Quotations. When you directly quote the works of others in your paper, you will format quotations differently depending on their length. Below are some basic guidelines for incorporating quotations into your paper. Please note that all pages in MLA should be double-spaced.

In MLA Style, referring to the works of others in your text is done using parenthetical citations. This method involves providing relevant source information in parentheses whenever a sentence uses a quotation or paraphrase.

Citing a dictionary definition is a little different than referencing an authored book, but it’s easy to get the hang of. An MLA citation shows the reader exactly where to find the source you accessed, so you’ll need to provide specific information about the entry.

To cite a dictionary in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the entry’s headword (as it appears), part of speech, the title of the dictionary, and when applicable, the URL. If the definition lists multiple possible definitions, you also need to include the definition number.

Citing a quote in MLA style. An MLA in-text citation includes only the author’s last name and a page number. As in APA, it can be parenthetical or narrative, and a period (or other punctuation mark) appears after the citation. Examples: MLA in-text citation.

An MLA in-text citation provides the author’s last name and a page number in parentheses. If a source has two authors, name both. If a source has more than two authors, name only the first author, followed by “ et al. ” If the part you’re citing spans multiple pages, include the full page range.

Citation + style guides. MLA. Citing encyclopedias & dictionaries: MLA (9th) citation guide. This guide is based on the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 9th ed. and provides selected citation examples for common types of sources. For more detailed information, please consult the full manual: available in print and online.

Format. "Title of Entry." Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary, edited by Editor's First Name Last Name, Edition if given and not first edition, vol. Volume Number, Publisher Name, Date of Publication, pp. First Page - Last Page. Name of Database.

In-text citations are brief, unobtrusive references that direct readers to the works-cited-list entries for the sources you consulted and, where relevant, to the location in the source being cited.