English Meaning & Definitions
The action of mentioning or alluding to something.
- “Her speech made frequent references to famous historical figures.”
- “With reference to your letter of inquiry, we are pleased to enclose our brochure.”
A relation or connection to something else.
- “The new laws apply without reference to race or gender.”
- “They analyzed the data in reference to the previous year's performance.”
To provide a book or article with citations of sources of information.
- “All sources used in the research paper must be properly referenced.”
- “He referenced several academic journals in his thesis.”
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “reference”.
Derived from the Late Middle English word 'referren' (to refer), from Latin 'referre' (to bring back, carry back, refer), composed of 're-' (back) + 'ferre' (to bear, carry). The noun sense developed in the 16th century, originally meaning the act of referring or directing attention.
Think of RE-FER-ENCE as 'referring' someone back to a source or document.
Frequently Asked Questions About “reference”
1. What is the meaning of “reference” in English?
In English, reference (noun) is defined as: “The action of mentioning or alluding to something.”.
2. How do you use “reference” in a sentence?
“Her speech made frequent references to famous historical figures.”
3. What are English synonyms of “reference”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “reference”?
Derived from the Late Middle English word 'referren' (to refer), from Latin 'referre' (to bring back, carry back, refer), composed of 're-' (back) + 'ferre' (to bear, carry). The noun sense developed in the 16th century, originally meaning the act of referring or directing attention.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →A measurement of time indicating an instantaneous occurrence or a state where no time has elapsed.
The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.