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reference
[ ref-er-uhns, ref-ruhns ]
noun
- an act or instance of referring.
- a mention; allusion.
- something for which a name or designation stands; denotation.
- a direction in a book or writing to some other book, passage, etc.
Synonyms: ,
- a book, passage, etc., to which one is directed.
- material contained in a footnote or bibliography, or referred to by a reference mark.
- use or recourse for purposes of information:
a library for public reference.
- a book or other source of useful facts or information, such as an encyclopedia, dictionary, etc.
- a person to whom one refers for testimony as to one's character, abilities, etc.
- a statement, usually written, as to a person's character, abilities, etc.
Synonyms:
- relation, regard, or respect:
all persons, without reference to age.
Synonyms: ,
verb (used with object)
- to furnish (a book, dissertation, etc.) with references:
Each new volume is thoroughly referenced.
- to arrange (notes, data, etc.) for easy reference:
Statistical data is referenced in the glossary.
- to refer to:
to reference a file.
reference
/ ˈrɛfərəns; ˌrɛfəˈrɛnʃəl; ˈrɛfrəns /
noun
- the act or an instance of referring
- something referred, esp proceedings submitted to a referee in law
- a direction of the attention to a passage elsewhere or to another book, document, etc
- a book or passage referred to
- a mention or allusion
this book contains several references to the Civil War
- philosophy
- the relation between a word, phrase, or symbol and the object or idea to which it refers
- the object referred to by an expression Compare sense
- a source of information or facts
- ( as modifier )
a reference book
a reference library
- a written testimonial regarding one's character or capabilities
- a person referred to for such a testimonial
- foll by to relation or delimitation, esp to or by membership of a specific class or group; respect or regard
all people, without reference to sex or age
- ( as modifier )
a reference group
- point of referencea fact forming the basis of an evaluation or assessment; criterion
- terms of referencethe specific limits of responsibility that determine the activities of an investigating body, etc
verb
- to furnish or compile a list of references for (an academic thesis, publication, etc)
- to make a reference to; refer to
he referenced Chomsky, 1956
preposition
- commerce with reference to re
reference your letter of the 9th inst
Derived Forms
- referential, adjective
- ˈڱԳ, noun
Other Word Forms
- ·İ·Գ noun
- ԴDz·İ·Գ noun
- ·İ·Գ noun
- ܲ·İ·Գ noun
- ܲ·İ·Գ adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of reference1
Idioms and Phrases
see in regard (reference) to .Example Sentences
To their surprise, the song was playlisted by Irish broadcaster RTÉ, only to be removed after listeners complained about drug references in the lyrics.
"Pep has been a reference for all of us who want to play football in a certain way… You always learn by watching his teams play. Always," said Paris St-Germain manager Luis Enrique.
Tips can also be directed to Valley Crime Stoppers by visiting www.valleycrimestoppers.org using reference case #04-25747.
The reference to hockey legend Gordie Howe is a signal to be aggressive in the face of power plays from Canada's neighbor to the south.
She also references another unique element of the “Sinners” story: a deal carved out by Coogler that will allow him to own the rights to the movie after 25 years, an extremely unconventional industry practice.
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More About Reference
does reference mean?
Reference means an act of referring, that is, an act of directing someone to something, Jaya noted the name of the author for future reference.
Reference also means a direct mention or to the actual books or materials that someone is being referred to, as in The greedy pig named Bob Bacon was a reference to the actual business tycoon of the same name.
Reference can also mean material that can be referred to for information, as in The encyclopedia is a good reference to use when doing your homework.
In a piece of writing, a reference is a direction or citation leading a reader to another book or passage for more information, as in The author listed several references at the bottom of the page.
Any of these senses can also be used as verbs, as in All of the graphical data was referenced at the end of the study.
Reference is also commonly used to mean people that give testimony about a person’s character, such as for a job application, as in The teacher agreed to be listed as a reference on Namita’s college application.
Example: Teachers often tell their students how many references their research papers need to have.
Where does reference come from?
The first records of the term reference come from around 1580. It combines the word refer, meaning to direct someone to, and the suffix –ence, which forms a noun and indicates an action.
Reference has multiple meanings that are all commonly used. In general, the word reference in some way indicates that your attention is being directed somewhere. References in writing often direct you to other pieces of writing, while a list of job references directs a hiring department to sources that will vouch for your work experience.
Of course, the website you are using right now is also an excellent reference you can direct someone to when they are confused about words and their meanings!
Did you know … ?
are some other forms related to reference?
- misreference (noun)
- nonreference (noun)
- prereference (noun)
- subreference (noun)
- referential (adjective)
are some synonyms for reference?
are some words that share a root or word element with reference?
are some words that often get used in discussing reference?
How is reference used in real life?
Reference has several different commonly used meanings.
Sometimes I talk to my kids like Samantha from Sex And The City, they’ve never seen so they don’t get the reference. But they agree, whoever that is, is a menace.
— Paul Danke Portland OR. 7/1 Siren theater (@pauldanke)
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all notice: Keep your receipts for future reference. They may come in handy.
— L. Spenser Smith (@LSpenserSmith)
Friends using each other as job references is my favorite form of finessing the system.
— Bella Goth (@HotCommieGal)
Try using reference!
Is the following a correct use of reference?
It is wise to keep a copy of any contract you sign for your own reference.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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