reference

[ ref-er-uhns, ref-ruhns ]

/ ˈrɛf ər əns, ˈrɛf rəns /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: reference / referenced / references / referencing on Thesaurus.com

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.

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

reference mark (def. 2).

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.

relation, regard, or respect: all persons, without reference to age.

verb (used with object), ref·er·enced, ref·er·enc·ing.

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR reference

4 note, citation.

11 endorsement.

12 consideration, concern.

See synonyms for reference on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of reference

First recorded in 1580–90; refer + -ence

OTHER WORDS FROM reference

mis·ref·er·ence, nounnon·ref·er·ence, nounpre·ref·er·ence, nounsub·ref·er·ence, noun

un·ref·er·enced, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH reference

1. allusion, reference 2. reference , referral

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use reference in a sentence

The only reference to the service I offer is my email signature that links to a sales page.
How to immediately profit from your next piece of content|Nico Prins|October 29, 2020|Search Engine Watch
This leads you to want to get paid even more money, and so you become hyper-focused on the incentive and your reference points start to change.
How to Stop Feeling Crushed for Time - Issue 92: Frontiers|Brian Gallagher|October 28, 2020|Nautilus
For reference, It can charge an iPhone 11 just under 5 times in one charge.
Power banks to keep you in charge|PopSci Commerce Team|October 28, 2020|Popular-Science
Readers who are very familiar with tech are going to recognize where these references come from.
Former Facebook employee’s new book exposes Big Tech’s dirty secrets|Danielle Abril|October 25, 2020|Fortune

Initially, the post included an explicit reference to Jones having a same-sex partner, but that has since been removed.
Anti-trans attacks on Gina Ortiz Jones continue in competitive Texas race|Chris Johnson|October 21, 2020|Washington Blade
In John Barleycorn, Heinold and his bar are referenced a whooping 17 times.
The Bars That Made America Great|Nina Strochlic|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One expects that an ecstatically rendered sex scene would follow, but their first night together is only tacitly referenced.
Hell Hath No Fury Like Valerie Trierweiler, the French President’s Ex|Lizzie Crocker|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He then referenced the film Anchorman: “I personally have many leather-bound books, and my house smells of rich mahogany.”
Rand Paul’s Many Leather-Bound Books|Olivia Nuzzi|November 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Unfortunately, these problems are merely alluded to—referenced as the important work that feminism does or can do.
The Perils of Glitzy Celebrity Feminism Having a Moment|Amy Zimmerman|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
However, Adriana referenced a proposal “to transform the current prison into a cultural center.”
Cocaine, Politicians and Wives: Inside the World’s Most Bizarre Prison|Jason Batansky|October 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Index links lead only to the top of the page, not to the exact item referenced.
Conversations on Chemistry, V. 1-2|Jane Marcet
When accent marks or spelling of some Index entries differed from the referenced text, the Index entries were changed.
Stories of Old Greece and Rome|Emilie Kip Baker
In cases where no appropriate heading was available on the page, the top of the referenced page is linked.
The Adventures of a Grain of Dust|Hallam Hawksworth
For clarity, some footnotes have been placed under the chapter headings where they are referenced.
Ephemera Critica|John Churton Collins
Page 561: Footnote A was not referenced in the text; Transcriber attributed it to the title of the article.
The Popular Science Monthly, October, 1900|Various

British Dictionary definitions for reference

reference

/ (ˈrɛfərəns, 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 allusionthis 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 expressionCompare sense (def. 12)

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 regardall people, without reference to sex or age
(as modifier)a reference group

point of reference a fact forming the basis of an evaluation or assessment; criterion

terms of reference the specific limits of responsibility that determine the activities of an investigating body, etc

verb (tr)

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

to make a reference to; refer tohe referenced Chomsky, 1956

preposition

commerce with reference toreference your letter of the 9th inst Abbreviation: re

Derived forms of reference

referencer, nounreferential (ˌrɛfəˈrɛnʃəl), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with reference

reference

see in regard (reference) to.

reference

OTHER WORDS FOR reference

Origin of reference

OTHER WORDS FROM reference

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH reference

Words related to reference

How to use reference in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for reference

Derived forms of reference

Other Idioms and Phrases with reference