reference
noun
ref·er·ence
| \ ˈre-fərn(t)s
, ˈre-f(ə-)rən(t)s\
, ˈre-f(ə-)rən(t)s\
Definition of reference
(Entry 1 of 3)
1
: the act of referring or consulting
2
: a bearing on a matter : relation
in reference to your recent letter
3
: something that refers: such as
b
: something (such as a sign or indication) that refers a reader or consulter to another source of information (such as a book or passage)
c
: consultation of sources of information
4
: one referred to or consulted: such as
a
: a person to whom inquiries as to character or ability can be made
b
: a statement of the qualifications of a person seeking employment or appointment given by someone familiar with the person
c(1)
: a source of information (such as a book or passage) to which a reader or consulter is referred
(2)
: a work (such as a dictionary or encyclopedia) containing useful facts or information
d
: denotation, meaning
reference
adjectiveDefinition of reference (Entry 2 of 3)
: used or usable for reference
especially
: constituting a standard for measuring or constructing
reference
verb
referenced;
referencing
Definition of reference (Entry 3 of 3)
1a
: to supply with references
b
: to cite in or as a reference
2
: to put in a form (such as a table) adapted to easy reference
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Examples of reference in a Sentence
Noun
references to an earlier event The numbers were calculated by reference to the most recent census. Reference to a map will make the position clear. She listed her former teacher as a reference when she applied for the job. Her former teacher gave her a reference when she applied for the job. Her teacher gave her a letter of reference.Adjective
a list of reference materialsVerb
The book references many other authors who have written on this topic.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
In the letter, Berkowitz claimed be the son of a man named Sam, an apparent reference to Sam Carr, his next-door neighbor. — Cady Lang, Time, "The True Stories Behind the Serial Killers of Mindhunter Season 2," 22 Aug. 2019 One of the names, ROXANE, could have been clued as a reference to best-selling (and living) author Roxane Gay but instead defaulted to a character from the 19th-century play Cyrano de Bergerac. — Peter Rubin, WIRED, "Upstart Crossword Puzzle Builders Get Their Point Across (and Down)," 19 Aug. 2019 Her acceptance speech serves as a prescient reference to the fact that journalists and political leaders today are wrestling with the language necessary to describe the social and political chaos ignited by the Trump administration. — Syreeta Mcfadden, The Atlantic, "What Toni Morrison Knew About Trump," 13 Aug. 2019 Cathay Pacific issued a memo to staff warning them not to post non-work content at work and to avoid unauthorized public announcements, an apparent reference to a Cathay pilot who on July 26 told passengers about the extradition bill protests. — Ephrat Livni, Quartz, "Cathay Pacific is stuck between a rock and a hard place—Hong Kong and mainland China," 10 Aug. 2019 The initial slogan, selected by the team's four captains, is an obvious reference to loading a weapon before going into battle. — John Feinstein, courant.com, "Commentary: ‘Sticking to sports’ isn’t just pointless ... it’s inhuman," 7 Aug. 2019 In an apparent reference to the possibility that Hunter could leave his seat in Congress amid ongoing legal troubles, DeMaio said a special election could be held before the end of the year. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Carl DeMaio announces challenge for Rep. Duncan Hunter’s congressional seat," 5 Aug. 2019 For reference, here's a selfie taken by Christina: And here's one from Heather. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "Does 'Flip or Flop' Star Tarek El Moussa Have a New Girlfriend?," 1 Aug. 2019 But the shark-jumping idiom is most commonly used in reference to television shows and performers, because that’s where its story begins. — Lila Maclellan, Quartz at Work, "Emmy-nominated Henry Winkler does not regret jumping the shark," 30 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Krayeske and Ward have obtained an email string from 2016 from a state Department of Public Health official to prison medical administrators referencing a hepatitis C lawsuit in Tennessee. — Josh Kovner, courant.com, "Facing class action lawsuit, prison system announces plan to test and treat all inmates for hepatitis C; cost could exceed $150M," 13 Aug. 2019 The statement denounces South Korea's plan to hold any military drills and referenced US President Donald Trump's recent comments on short-range missile tests. — Yoonjung Seo, CNN, "North Korea threatens to freeze South out of future talks," 11 Aug. 2019 Arlington police are upping security at events around the city this weekend after a threat referencing the El Paso massacre was left at the construction site where the Texas Rangers' new stadium is being built. — Dallas News, "Arlington police increase weekend security after threat left at Rangers' construction site," 9 Aug. 2019 Part of the problem is the stigma referenced above. — Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, "Worker Skills to Pay the Bills," 25 July 2019 Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office at 281-341-4665, and reference the Fort Bend County case number 99-8447. — Danny Hermosillo, Houston Chronicle, "Fort Bend authorities ask for help in identifying remains in 19-year cold case," 16 July 2019 Most recordings reviewed by VRT, including the one referencing the Waasmunster couple, were intended; users asked for weather information or pornographic videos, for example. — Tom Simonite, WIRED, "Who’s Listening When You Talk to Your Google Assistant?," 10 July 2019 Methodist also did not respond to multiple questions about the discounting program referenced by the handout at Methodist South. — Wendi C. Thomas, ProPublica, "This Memphis Hospital System Flouts IRS Rules by Not Publicly Posting Financial Assistance Policies," 27 June 2019 Geologists used higher resolution satellite images of the mountain taken between 2003 and 2018 and cross-referenced that information with additional datasets going back 30 years. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Rare Lava Lake Found on Top of Sub-Antarctic Volcano," 8 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'reference.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for reference
reference
noun
English Language Learners Definition of reference
(Entry 1 of 3)
: the act of mentioning something in speech or in writing : the act of referring to something or someone
: the act of looking at or in something for information
: a person who can be asked for information about another person's character, abilities, etc.
reference
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of reference (Entry 2 of 3)
: used to find information about something
: used to tell people where informat