cross reference
noun
a reference from one part of a book, index, or the like, to related material, as a word or illustration, in another part.
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cross reference
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cross-reference
cross-referenceverb (used with or without object)to provide with cross references.
cross reference
1 Americannoun
cross-reference
2
American
[kraws-ref-er-uhns, -ref-ruhns, kros-]
/ ˈkrɔsˈrɛf ər əns, -ˈrɛf rəns, ˈkrɒs- /
verb (used with or without object)
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cross-references,
present (3rd person singular)
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cross-referenced,
past participle, past
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cross-referencing
present participle
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to provide with cross references.
The new encyclopedia is completely cross-referenced.
cross-reference
British
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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cross-referencesimple
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cross-referencessimple
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have cross-referencedperfect
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has cross-referencedperfect
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am cross-referencingprogressive
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are cross-referencingprogressive
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is cross-referencingprogressive
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have been cross-referencingperfect progressive
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has been cross-referencingperfect progressive
Past
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cross-referencedsimple
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had cross-referencedperfect
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was cross-referencingprogressive
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were cross-referencingprogressive
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had been cross-referencingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of cross reference1
First recorded in 1825–35
Origin of cross-reference2
First recorded in 1900–05
Explanation
When a book mentions something from a different part of the same book, that's a cross-reference. In a textbook, a cross-reference might look like this: "See page 123." Cross-reference, "a reference in a book to another part of it," was coined in the 19th century. It's a way to add more information without going into wordy detail, similar to using a footnote or endnote in academic writing. If you look up "Amelia Earhart" in an index at the back of a book, you might see cross-references such as "See also: Earhart, Amelia" and "See also: aviators."
Vocabulary lists containing cross-reference
Choosing and Evaluating Sources
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Mayo Clinic provides some symptoms of BPD, which you can cross reference with your experience of your mother-in-law.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 29, 2026
That’s an even better way to make sure companies can’t cross reference who you are.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 31, 2021
These people have different agendas and different biases, and you cross reference those lies.
From Salon ● Feb. 29, 2020
Lenahan said while the car is “indescribable,” once investigators have the vehicle identification number, they will be able to cross reference any missing persons reports or other incidents related to the vehicle.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 17, 2020
These Cross References are given both on the plate and the subject card as well as on the cross reference card.
From A Classification and Subject Index for Cataloguing and Arranging the Books and Pamphlets of a Library by Melvil Dewey
Admins now zoom in on aluminum cans to cross-reference dent patterns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
The cases don’t cross-reference one another, as often happens when the court decides two similar cases in the same term.
From Slate ● Jul. 1, 2026
She begins to cross-reference family lore with a stunning trove of mail in original packaging, baptismal records from remote towns, court filings and Freedom of Information requests.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
Having the location of each attack, we were able to calculate the time of filming using the shadows and to cross-reference with weather records to find the most likely date.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2024
I had one more name I needed to cross-reference with Bobbie Lyles.
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
Happily, the show is not up to its cowl in DC cross-references and crossovers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
She cross-references the many striking photos taken during the late September publicity shoot commissioned by the project’s director of public relations, Merle Crowell.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
Since then, AFP has automated area calculations of the geographic files supplied by ISW and cross-references them with the size of Ukrainian regions.
From Barron's ● Feb. 24, 2026
The 23-year-old's research cross-references data from adverts, like phone numbers or addresses, to link the same sellers to multiple accounts.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2021
I searched endlessly through all the cross-references and all the parallel passages in the Palestinian Talmud.
From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok
For the report, the UN agency cross-referenced data showing where the roughly 2.4 billion children on the planet live with the geographic distribution of the eight most common climate impacts.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
You never cross-referenced her number on the school’s parent list with the one on the text.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2025
Californians are required to verify their identities when they register to vote, and that information is cross-referenced with Department of Motor Vehicle files.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2025
When sources provided conflicting information for a village group, unaffiliated sources were prioritised and further cross-referenced with media reporting.
From BBC ● Dec. 19, 2024
It appeared as a jumble of cascading windows floating in front of me, displaying text, maps, photos, and audio and video files, all indexed, cross-referenced, and pulsing with life.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
We went back to our sources, checking and cross-referencing.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
Using the same cross-referencing technique for previous reports, it is possible to track how the valuation multiples for the holdings have changed over time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
I studied the pages like scripture — cross-referencing crust ratios, comparing jam methods, building a menu as though I were prepping for an exam.
From Salon ● Oct. 14, 2025
These powerful applications provide a virtual fire hose of real-time information, including location and address history, cross-referencing usernames, and fingerprinting a user based on writing style.
From Slate ● Feb. 5, 2025
Working together, the CIA and FBI conducted a painstaking search, cross-referencing everyone who had access to the names of the agents executed by the KGB.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
