referential

[ ref-uh-ren-shuhl ]

/ ˌrɛf əˈrɛn ʃəl /

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adjective

having reference: referential to something.

containing a reference.

used for reference.

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 referential

First recorded in 1650–60; referent + -ial

OTHER WORDS FROM referential

ref·er·en·tial·ly, adverb

Words nearby referential

reference group, reference mark, reference works, referendum, referent, referential, referral, referred pain, reffo, refi, refill

How to use referential in a sentence

Since you don’t know how people link to your pages, a self-referential one helps to clean up small mistakes.
Google rolls out new products for travel and leisure businesses; Thursday’s daily brief|George Nguyen|September 23, 2021|Search Engine Land
Almost more than anybody I’ve ever witnessed, he’s clearly a man devoid of any sort of sense of humor or self-referential anything.
Sacha Baron Cohen’s Partner in Crime Seizes the Spotlight|Marlow Stern|July 30, 2021|The Daily Beast
This psychological experience corresponds to increased levels of activity in brain networks that support self-referential and emotional processing in the brain.
How to Quiet Your Mind Chatter - Issue 98: Mind|Liz Greene|March 10, 2021|Nautilus
So this self-referential processing network, which tends to be more active among people who are clinically anxious and depressed, is also active when you look at people experiencing chatter.
How to Quiet Your Mind Chatter - Issue 98: Mind|Liz Greene|March 10, 2021|Nautilus

Of course publishing a book of selfies is the height of Kim Kardashian self-referential ridiculousness.
Kim Kardashian Isn't the Butt of Jokes Anymore|Amy Zimmerman|August 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Perhaps the word “hipster” has now lost all referential meaning.
Why Do We Hate Hipsters So F'ing Much?|Ted Gioia|July 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They are self-referential, sculpted by parody or subversive of conventions, and ambitiously re-inventive.
‘True Detective,’ Obsessive-Compulsive Noir, and ‘Twin Peaks’|Jimmy So|March 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
With names like Nestor, Clarissa, and Ludwig, the characters are equally referential.
This Week's Hot Reads: October 7, 2013|Damaris Colhoun|October 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST
A lot of it is self-referential, i.e., to other incidents to the Marvel universe.
‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Premiere Wows (and Puzzles) Us|Allen Barra, Margaret Barra|September 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
This is truly a "handy referential volume," and deserving of a large sale.
Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases|Thomas Preston
They are all too broadly referential, too vague, to be of real use to a manager or actor looking for a play to produce.
Dramatic Technique|George Pierce Baker
The man of the 'oath referential, or sentimental swearing,' makes the entire scope of the part an 'echo to the sense.'
Great Fortunes, and How They Were Made|James D. McCabe, Jr.
What is of peculiar interest is the symptom in his malady called "referential ideas."
Iconoclasts|James Huneker
The written, as we know, almost constantly appeared together with other referential systems, especially images.
The Civilization of Illiteracy|Mihai Nadin