Mention

Mention is a word used to describe the act of referring to someone or something briefly in speech or writing, or to name a topic or item without providing extensive detail. As a verb, it means to bring up or cite something in conversation or text, as in "She mentioned the report in her closing remarks." As a noun, a mention is the instance of referring to something, or a reference included within a larger discussion or document, such as a passing mention of a source in an article.

Etymology and usage notes commonly place mention within the lineage of Old French mention, which derives from Latin mentio, meaning a naming or reference. Over time, the term has come to be widely used in formal writing, journalism, and everyday speech to indicate that a topic has been brought up without implying a full discussion or analysis.

In linguistics and philosophy, the use-mention distinction is a notable concept. It distinguishes mentioning a word from using the word’s sense or referring to the object it denotes. For example, mentioning the word "cat" refers to the word as a symbol, whereas using the word "cat" refers to the animal itself. This distinction helps explain phenomena in semantics, quotation, and grammatical analysis.

In technology and social media, mention has a specific practical meaning. To mention someone is to include their username or handle in a post or message, typically to notify the person or bring their attention to the content. This is commonly done with symbols such as @username on many platforms. Mentions differ from tags in that mentions are intended to notify a user, while tags may attach metadata or link to content without necessarily signaling a direct notification.