reference

American  

[ref-er-uhns, ref-ruhns] / ˈrɛf ər əns, ˈrɛf rəns /

noun

• references
  plural

1. an act or instance of referring.

2. a mention; allusion.

3. something for which a name or designation stands; denotation.

4. a direction in a book or writing to some other book, passage, etc.

   Synonyms:

   citation, note

5. a book, passage, etc., to which one is directed.

6. reference mark.

7. material contained in a footnote or bibliography, or referred to by a reference mark.

8. use or recourse for purposes of information.

   a library for public reference.

9. a book or other source of useful facts or information, such as an encyclopedia, dictionary, etc.

10. a person to whom one refers for testimony as to one's character, abilities, etc.

11. a statement, usually written, as to a person's character, abilities, etc.

    Synonyms:

    endorsement

12. relation, regard, or respect.

    all persons, without reference to age.

    Synonyms:

    concern, consideration

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verb (used with object)

• references,
  present (3rd person singular)
• referenced,
  past participle,  past
• referencing
  present participle

1. to furnish (a book, dissertation, etc.) with references.

   Each new volume is thoroughly referenced.

2. to arrange (notes, data, etc.) for easy reference.

   Statistical data is referenced in the glossary.

3. to refer to.

   to reference a file.

reference British  

/ ˈrɛfərəns, ˌrɛfəˈrɛnʃəl, ˈrɛfrəns /

noun

1. the act or an instance of referring

2. something referred, esp proceedings submitted to a referee in law

3. a direction of the attention to a passage elsewhere or to another book, document, etc

4. a book or passage referred to

5. a mention or allusion

   this book contains several references to the Civil War

6. philosophy

   1. the relation between a word, phrase, or symbol and the object or idea to which it refers

   2. the object referred to by an expression Compare sense

7. 1. a source of information or facts

   2. ( as modifier )

      a reference book

      a reference library

8. a written testimonial regarding one's character or capabilities

9. a person referred to for such a testimonial

10. 1. (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

    2. ( as modifier )

       a reference group

11. a fact forming the basis of an evaluation or assessment; criterion

12. the specific limits of responsibility that determine the activities of an investigating body, etc

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verb

1. to furnish or compile a list of references for (an academic thesis, publication, etc)

2. to make a reference to; refer to

   he referenced Chomsky, 1956

preposition

1.  re.  commerce with reference to

   reference your letter of the 9th inst

reference Idioms  

1. see in regard (reference) to.

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Usage

What 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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• misreference
  noun
• nonreference
  noun
• prereference
  noun
• referencer
  noun
• subreference
  noun
• referential
  adjective
• unreferenced
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• references
  plural

Participles

• referencing
  present
• referenced
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• reference
  simple
• references
  simple
• have referenced
  perfect
• has referenced
  perfect
• am referencing
  progressive
• are referencing
  progressive
• is referencing
  progressive
• have been referencing
  perfect progressive
• has been referencing
  perfect progressive

Past

• referenced
  simple
• had referenced
  perfect
• was referencing
  progressive
• were referencing
  progressive
• had been referencing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will reference
  simple
• will have referenced
  perfect
• will be referencing
  progressive
• will have been referencing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of reference

First recorded in 1580–90; refer + -ence

Explanation

If you are writing a report for school, you are probably relying on a few references, or sources, for information. Or, if you are applying for a job, you may count on a reference from a previous boss to help you get the job. Good references are sometimes necessary to either get a job or to get a job done well. A reference is someone you can rely on to put in a good word for you when applying for a job. Or, a reference might be an outside source you use in a research paper. Don't forget: if you reference outside work, be sure to mention it in your bibliography or "list of references" so you don't get accused of plagiarism. Give credit where it's due.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reference references referenced referencing

Meghan’s recent entrepreneurial efforts have focused on As Ever, a line of home goods that had originally been launched as American Riviera Orchard—a reference to a popular nickname for the Santa Barbara area.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

Rhys: A lot of my performances have some reference to “Jaws,” regardless of the piece, because I’m usually Quint.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

That is a reference to ongoing discussions about the next engine regulations, due to come in by 2031 at the latest.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

We can’t know for sure, but he may have been mad about her earlier reference to Ossoff—and Ossoff’s to Harp.

From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026

With an alphabet on the hearth at my feet for reference, I contrived in an hour or two to print and smear this epistle:—

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

“Cleaner and more modern, with references to the original and the simplicity and craft that’s always made it Instagram.”

From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026

They explain abstruse technical aspects, muse on therapy practices and add historical and cultural references.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

“Just the opening of that show alone has references to both ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark,’ so screening it in a theater can be very complicated,” she explains.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

"When you dive into the Iliad, you really understand that Homer was an Anatolian. You find anecdotes and cultural references that are completely unknown elsewhere," he said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

Back then, key chains were super-popular, especially these rectangular metal plates with funny references like Heartbreaker, Lucky, or Diva.

From "I Will Always Write Back" by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda

Poolside’s Thursday letter referenced a failed fundraising effort in 2025 that caused a reckoning for the startup and indirectly led to the deal with Nvidia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

He mostly posts humorous memes, some of which explore racial themes, and has made several comments relating to the Eatherly case online on the account and referenced his own criminal history.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

In early interviews discussing the film, Nolan referenced Wilson’s translation, which subsequently skyrocketed in sales.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

Federal judges have found that the government filed statements generated by artificial intelligence that referenced nonexistent case law, wrote briefs that ignored facts and filed declarations with inaccurate dates, the ProPublica review shows.

From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026

The italicized language in the description of the referenced exchange is paraphrased, not directly quoted.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

“This is a Band-Aid,” said Lawrence Gillum, chief fixed income strategist for LPL Financial, referencing Treasury’s expanded buyback program.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

Burnham -- who took power last month -- has faced some criticism for not directly referencing climate change sooner, as Britain has grappled for weeks with widespread drought, extreme heat and wildfires.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

“It should be an amount paid out at some point, and that would show up in a 990,” he said, referencing the name of the tax return filed by nonprofits, which is public.

From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026

“It’s going to be different,” Sienna said, referencing the Bruins losing six players to the WNBA.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026

He was referencing her real life—indirectly, to an extent, though everyone knew the subtext.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

Related Words

• allusion
• hint
• innuendo
• mention
• note
• quotation