citation needed
1
7.7
- idiom
:
cita necesaria
- In his free time, he edits his Wikipedia entry and denies that he is Rider 18, although some (citation needed) have speculated that he will soon confess in order to seem relevant.
Examples
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All Nintendo has to do is get rid of the dang region lock and put more retro games into the eShop; that will trim down hacking a bit. CITATION NEEDED.
Blog text (4) -
In academic writing, if you present a bold assertion, a citation needed shows that you rely on credible sources.
-
Oh, also, citation needed regarding vindictiveness.
Blog text (28) -
I hate to have to use one of the favorites of all baboonisms, but citation needed.
Blog text (28) -
Not only that, but I just saw citation needed that prescriptions for painkillers... let's not call them opiates... have increased 181% in the last decade alone.
Blog text (4) -
Sally, you stupid, self-medicated cunt—to take a leaf out of the baboon hadiths: citation needed.
Blog text (28) -
Please remember to add a citation needed for any claims that are not widely known.
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When you make a controversial statement, it's important to indicate a citation needed to back it up.
Synonyms
38
7.5
Not supported by facts or proof
6
8.1
Not proved by other facts or evidence
How Supported
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a reference is required to support the claim' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'citation' (a reference) with 'needed' (required). The pattern 'N needed' = 'a N is required' is a straightforward, compositional structure found across languages and registers, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand the phrase.
Etymology
Citation needed comes from people who edit pages online, especially on Wikipedia, who write these words next to a fact that has no source. The words citation, meaning a reference, and needed show someone is asking for proof, so today it means 'a statement should be supported by a reliable source'.