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

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

I have to remind him constantly to research before starting a project, or to reference campaign materials.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

That caffeine reference was perhaps as much to the time zone, as nod to the city's famous café culture.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

This phase is now over, he said, in reference to past themes about the need to rewire an economy that grew too comfortable and complacent because of preferred access to the U.S. market.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

Without mentioning Trump's name, von der Leyen did reference to the January crisis.

From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 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

It is "unwise" for members of the legal profession to give character references, the Lady Chief Justice has said.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

The acknowledgment comes after Reuters reported that Kennedy directed CDC Director Erica Schwartz to remove references to two Pennsylvania deaths from the agency’s national measles count after questioning whether the disease contributed to them.

From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026

Still, references to dark chapters of his decades in absolute power are tightly censored in public discourse.

From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026

Our references were “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” and ’80s “Phantom of the Opera.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

Rossi’s publication of books of Sinfonie e gagliarde in 1607 and 1608 are among the earliest printed references to the sinfonia as a distinct form.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

‘Nessel referenced the story of Queen Esther, who offered to sacrifice her own life to save the Jewish people.’

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

A partial paper vetting record exists for Greer and the caution is referenced.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

Sanft questioned Ladd about the Excalibur letter, and the retired detective conceded he did not have the items and none of them referenced Davis.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

One Sonoma winery referenced in the report said Canada made up about 85% of its international sales and called the boycotts “devastating.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

The cycle referenced in the title is a system for synchronizing the ritual and solar years by adding extra months to the calendar at intervals of two years, but not in the eighth year.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro

Without directly referencing these controversies, Haakon said during his speech: "Our family has experienced the importance of standing together in order to remain steadfast both within ourselves and for one another even during difficult times."

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

Ms. Rundell, who is a fellow at Oxford and has published a biography of John Donne in addition to her children’s fiction, is a playfully erudite writer, referencing Aristotle and Cinderella with equal fluency.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

“No one wants to play with me anymore!” he joked, seemingly referencing Toy Story.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

“I respect the fact that you recanted everything you said,” he told Cohen, referencing his former fixer’s recent criticisms of Bragg and James.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026

My first sighting is in a news story referencing the Dark Days.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

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