citing

Pluralcitings

1. 1
   verb

   Present participle of cite.

   The author keeps citing studies that support her theory.

   Citing a lack of evidence, the judge dismissed the case.

   Note

   The -ing form does double duty. After be it is progressive (she is citing studies), and in noun positions it is a gerund (citing primary sources strengthens an argument). At the head of a clause it often gives a reason: citing a lack of evidence, the judge dismissed the case. It carries every meaning of cite, including the legal one of summoning someone to appear in court.

2. 2
   nouncountable or uncountable

   An instance of quoting or referring to a source, especially as support or proof.

   The lawyer's citing of an obscure statute swayed the court.

   Each citing in the report points back to a verified document.

   Similarreference, quotation, mention

   Note

   A countable noun that stands beside citation and takes a plural. Samuel Totten and Jon E. Pedersen's Teaching and Studying Social Issues (2010) speaks of referees who "devalue older citings." Where citation usually names the reference itself, citing keeps more of the act, much as the verb form does in a lawyer's citing of a statute. The clipped noun cite, informal, covers the same ground.

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