Definition Definition

reference - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'reference' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Reference [ n.]
- The act of referring, or the state of being referred; as, reference to a chart for guidance.
- That which refers to something; a specific direction of the attention; as, a reference in a text-book.
- Relation; regard; respect.
- One who, or that which, is referred to.
- One of whom inquires can be made as to the integrity, capacity, and the like, of another.
- A work, or a passage in a work, to which one is referred.
- The act of submitting a matter in dispute to the judgment of one or more persons for decision.
- The process of sending any matter, for inquiry in a cause, to a master or other officer, in order that he may ascertain facts and report to the court.
- Appeal.

Meaning of 'reference' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . reference [ n]
Meaning (1):
- the relation between a word or phrase and the object or idea it refers to
Example in sentence:
  • he argued that reference is a consequence of conditioned reflexes
Meaning (2):
- a publication (or a passage from a publication) that is referred to
Example in sentence:
  • he carried an armful of references back to his desk;
  • he spent hours looking for the source of that quotation
Meaning (3):
- a book to which you can refer for authoritative facts
Example in sentence:
  • he contributed articles to the basic reference work on that topic
Meaning (4):
- an indicator that orients you generally
Example in sentence:
  • it is used as a reference for comparing the heating and the electrical energy involved
Meaning (5):
- the act of referring or consulting
Example in sentence:
  • reference to an encyclopedia produced the answer
Meaning (6):
- a formal recommendation by a former employer to a potential future employer describing the person's qualifications and dependability
Example in sentence:
  • requests for character references are all too often answered evasively
Meaning (7):
- a remark that calls attention to something or someone
Example in sentence:
  • she made frequent mention of her promotion;
  • the speaker made several references to his wife;
  • there was no mention of it
Meaning (8):
- a short note recognizing a source of information or of a quoted passage
Example in sentence:
  • the acknowledgments are usually printed at the front of a book;
  • the article includes mention of similar clinical cases;
  • the student's essay failed to list several important citations
Meaning (9):
- the most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression; the class of objects that an expression refers to
Example in sentence:
  • the extension of `satellite of Mars' is the set containing only Demos and Phobos
10 . reference [ v]
Meaning (10):
- refer to
Example in sentence:
  • he referenced his colleagues' work

Nearby Words:

refaction refar refashion refashionment refasten refect refection refective refectories refectory

See 'reference' also in:

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