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, 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

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Etymology

Origin of reference

First recorded in 1580–90; refer + -ence

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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

But Epstein’s error wasn’t an unfortunate mashup of the two candidates’ names: It was a reference to John’s younger—and significantly more popular—brother, Chris Sununu, also the state’s most recent former governor.

From Slate ● Oct. 29, 2026

According to a tracker published by the industry reference guide MIMS, the average number of drugs in short supply in the UK has trended upward this year, external.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

San Francisco public health officials said the Script botanicals x Maui labs product packaging did not make a reference to kratom or 7-OH; however, neither were associated with the overdose death.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

His lawyers challenged the claim, citing "several inconsistent versions of the allegations", including a reference to $5 million rather than euros at a Mauritian bail hearing.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

But Hamilton’s reference to “fifteen years” turned out to be a precise estimate of their history as political antagonists.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

"Knowing what it was about did prompt a chat with our son about the manosphere and those sort of toxic influencers it references," he said.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026

Your letter references how financial pressures, emotional turmoil, challenging workplace situations, addictions and mental-health challenges all play a role in how people deal with stressful situations.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

Wright said, put simply, none of the other pubs possessed the archaeological evidence, archival references or scientific data "to actually back up the claims".

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

Occasional British references mostly appear in mentions of his early life.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

A whole list of references pops up for Ibo, and I print them out to look at later.

From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass

He referenced Michael Moore and Ross McElwee films as similar cases in which a director becomes an on-screen presence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026

Before her narrow loss, Hong referenced a since-deleted Wedgewood poll in a fundraising pitch to argue that her campaign had “momentum.”

From Slate ● Oct. 22, 2026

He referenced there being nine intelligence documents, including one called "feelings of PIRA".

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

The Duxbury Bay mansion is believed to be the property referenced in one of the alleged post-breakup offers.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

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

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

"Specific dates and locations could be discussed through Panmunjom," said Kim, referencing the symbolic truce village where troops from both Koreas stand face-to-face.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

“It’s a Tilt-A-Whirl, you’re getting whipped around,” Farley said during an interview with MarketWatch, referencing a popular carnival ride.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026

Their original press release mentioned building a new air defence systems that would be "in essence, a British Iron Dome", referencing Israel's elaborate air defence system.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

The song’s outro is equally as intoxicating, referencing the lyrics and melody of its apparent brother track, “Beat Up Chanel$.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

“You sound like your father,” he said, referencing Krazy Keith.

From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green

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Related Words

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

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