reference
Americannoun
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references
plural
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an act or instance of referring.
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a mention; allusion.
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something for which a name or designation stands; denotation.
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a direction in a book or writing to some other book, passage, etc.
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a book, passage, etc., to which one is directed.
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material contained in a footnote or bibliography, or referred to by a reference mark.
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use or recourse for purposes of information.
a library for public reference.
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a book or other source of useful facts or information, such as an encyclopedia, dictionary, etc.
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a person to whom one refers for testimony as to one's character, abilities, etc.
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a statement, usually written, as to a person's character, abilities, etc.
- Synonyms:
- endorsement
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relation, regard, or respect.
all persons, without reference to age.
- Synonyms:
- concern, consideration
verb (used with object)
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references,
present (3rd person singular)
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referenced,
past participle, past
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referencing
present participle
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to furnish (a book, dissertation, etc.) with references.
Each new volume is thoroughly referenced.
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to arrange (notes, data, etc.) for easy reference.
Statistical data is referenced in the glossary.
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to refer to.
to reference a file.
noun
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the act or an instance of referring
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something referred, esp proceedings submitted to a referee in law
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a direction of the attention to a passage elsewhere or to another book, document, etc
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a book or passage referred to
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a mention or allusion
this book contains several references to the Civil War
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philosophy
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the relation between a word, phrase, or symbol and the object or idea to which it refers
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the object referred to by an expression Compare sense
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-
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a source of information or facts
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( as modifier )
a reference book
a reference library
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a written testimonial regarding one's character or capabilities
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a person referred to for such a testimonial
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(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
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( as modifier )
a reference group
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a fact forming the basis of an evaluation or assessment; criterion
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the specific limits of responsibility that determine the activities of an investigating body, etc
verb
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to furnish or compile a list of references for (an academic thesis, publication, etc)
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to make a reference to; refer to
he referenced Chomsky, 1956
preposition
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
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misreferencenoun
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nonreferencenoun
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prereferencenoun
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referencernoun
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subreferencenoun
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referentialadjective
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unreferencedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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referencesimple
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referencessimple
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have referencedperfect
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has referencedperfect
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am referencingprogressive
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are referencingprogressive
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is referencingprogressive
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have been referencingperfect progressive
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has been referencingperfect progressive
Past
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referencedsimple
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had referencedperfect
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was referencingprogressive
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were referencingprogressive
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had been referencingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of reference
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.
Vocabulary lists containing reference
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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:
Earlier this month, Hwang ordered that there be no reference to the first trial during the retrial scheduled for Nov. 2.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
The following weekend, almost 200 miles west, a middle-aged man stood near the stage at the start of another El-Sayed appearance and shouted a reference to the Quran and Bible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
Sabrina Hania, told the BBC her team had created the image - which was published on 17 October - using ChatGPT without using a reference image.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
According to experts behind the CyclOpe report, an annual reference for global raw materials and commodity markets, demand is linked to "global industrial dynamics, particularly in the mining and construction sectors, energy and defence."
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
I used a generic photograph of q mallard for reference, but Uncle Phil doesn’t need to know that.
From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day
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
This pivot involves collating data on deals, steering liquidity, and shaping benchmark price references through a state-backed platform.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
While Bass’ campaign website references infrastructure improvements around streets, sidewalks and crosswalks under her reasons for running and her list of accomplishments, there’s been no mention of rail, buses or public transit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
The large ensemble cast includes about 15 characters from different instalments of the video game series, and is packed with references and Easter eggs.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
The Almanac contained thousands of references to Halliday’s favorite books, TV shows, movies, songs, graphic novels, and videogames.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
Sridhar referenced a comment made by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, that every quarter delay in a gigawatt data center translates to $10 billion of missed revenue.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 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
Miranda also referenced that difficult period during Friday's mission, when the players had to collect and assemble parts of Easter Island-like statues on a rainy hillside.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
She also referenced the chorus of criticism that many homes along California's coast belong to the wealthy or are second homes, and that they never should've been built on such a vulnerable landscape.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
The italicized language in the description of the referenced exchange is paraphrased, not directly quoted.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
“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
Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen described it as a "Sputnik moment", referencing the 1957 launch of Earth's first artificial satellite by the Soviet Union that stunned the Western world.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
You cannot mention City at the moment without referencing what is going on with them off the pitch.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
“Crews are also continuing to reinforce vulnerable portions of the pedestrian boardwalk,” he wrote, referencing work the city did in advance of Hurricane Marie.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
He was referencing Ray’s job as a Schwan’s man, delivering frozen foods across the plains of eastern Montana.
From "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" by emily m. danforth
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