Quotation marks and sarcasm?

Question

Are quotation marks using for sarcasm only in America, or is this about English and using everywhere?

For instance, in my country we use this: (!) to point out sarcasm

Answer 1

In English, quotation marks are not used only for sarcasm. It is interpreted as sarcasm in the sense that you are quoting the word(s) someone else used. In effect, you are saying that the particular word is used, though you do not agree with its meaning or its validity, etc. However, the use of quotation marks in English does not always indicate sarcasm. It can be in reference to terms and definitions. For example, I can say that the word "equilibrium" means balance; when I use the quote marks in this sense, I do not intend it to be sarcastic. (You can also italicize the term to indicate that it is a technical term that has a specific meaning used in that discipline.)