ref·er·ence
ˈre-fərn(t)s 
ˈre-f(ə-)rən(t)s
1
: the act of referring or consulting
2
: a bearing on a matter : relation
in reference to your recent letter
3
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
: used or usable for reference
especially
: constituting a standard for measuring or constructing
referenced; referencing
1
a
: 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
Synonyms
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 materials
Verb
The book references many other authors who have written on this topic.
Recent Examples on the Web
Emily Zemler, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Apr. 2024
With its myriad references to warbling princesses, cloying theme park animatronics, and lovable talking animals, Shrek was viewed by critics as a giant green middle finger to Katzenberg’s former employer.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2024
The global average temperature measured about 3 degrees, or 1.68 degrees Celsius, warmer than the designated 1850 to 1900 pre-industrial reference period.
—Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Then there are brands that simply reissue vintage references in a nearly one-for-one manner.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024
And the new Raffles London at the OWO nestles 120 guest rooms and suites inside the historic Edwardian building that once served as Winston Churchill’s Old War Office — that’s the OWO reference.
—Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
Lance Bass, 44, shared a PSA on Instagram ahead of Monday's solar eclipse providing safety tips and stressing the importance of wearing eclipse glasses, while making plenty of NSYNC references along the way.
—USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
Job shopper asks for frequent references More:Husband thinks his wife is too close to her kids
His folks often behave in a passive-aggressive manner toward me.
—Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2024
As the prospect of a one-year prison sentence hung over Larry throughout the season — the same sentence Seinfeld et al. got — references to his old show popped up with enough frequency that Rolling Stone critic Alan Sepinwall complained about them.
—Avi Selk, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2022
This is despite progress; many country national climate action plans now cross-reference gender, and country delegations include more women.
—Catherine McKenna, Scientific American, 8 Nov. 2022
Some problems occurred because the system didn’t properly cross-reference country codes used on a money-laundering watchlist with the country codes used to process wire transfers, the SEC said.
—Richard Vanderford, WSJ, 20 May 2022
State officials regularly cross-reference voting records with BMV records, which list someone’s citizenship status on their driver’s license.
—Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland, 12 July 2021
This process sees them cross-reference lists of the dead from the Washington Department of Health and the Social Security Administration.
—Tim Gruver, Washington Examiner, 11 Dec. 2020
The access could help OFAC cross-reference information with other investigators, including those in the U.S. intelligence community, said Mr. Lorber, a former senior adviser to the Treasury’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.
—Jack Hagel, WSJ, 7 Sep. 2020
Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2024
While Cole has been vocal in his response to Lamar, Drake only vaguely referenced the verse during a show shortly after.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
Still, the email references commercial surveillance provider NSO Group, an Israeli company notorious for developing the Pegasus spyware, which can sometimes hijack a smartphone simply by sending the user a single message.
—Michael Kan, PCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024
Flyover country Some waypoints reference Missouri and Kansas’ agricultural roots.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024
And a fan at a Bruce Springsteen concert came with a sign that referenced the musician’s guest appearance on the show.
—Whitney Friedlander, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
In a statement on the bill, Wyden referenced Microsoft’s wide reach within the federal government.
—Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 8 Apr. 2024
Mullins has referenced antisemitic conspiracy theories in her sermons at Calvary Church and told her congregation not to read or watch secular news.
—Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 1 Apr. 2024
Mollison references SaGa Launder Bar and Cafe, a former Chicago laundromat with a bar inside and reminisces about attending small raves inside laundromats in the ‘90s in London.
—Lina Abascal, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2024
Noun
The episodes were filmed entirely in black and white as a reference to the cinema of the time period, and there was an emphasis on showcasing Italy’s impressive architecture.
—Emily Zemler, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Apr. 2024
With its myriad references to warbling princesses, cloying theme park animatronics, and lovable talking animals, Shrek was viewed by critics as a giant green middle finger to Katzenberg’s former employer.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2024
The global average temperature measured about 3 degrees, or 1.68 degrees Celsius, warmer than the designated 1850 to 1900 pre-industrial reference period.
—Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Then there are brands that simply reissue vintage references in a nearly one-for-one manner.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024
And the new Raffles London at the OWO nestles 120 guest rooms and suites inside the historic Edwardian building that once served as Winston Churchill’s Old War Office — that’s the OWO reference.
—Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
Lance Bass, 44, shared a PSA on Instagram ahead of Monday's solar eclipse providing safety tips and stressing the importance of wearing eclipse glasses, while making plenty of NSYNC references along the way.
—USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
Job shopper asks for frequent references More:Husband thinks his wife is too close to her kids
His folks often behave in a passive-aggressive manner toward me.
—Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2024
As the prospect of a one-year prison sentence hung over Larry throughout the season — the same sentence Seinfeld et al. got — references to his old show popped up with enough frequency that Rolling Stone critic Alan Sepinwall complained about them.
—Avi Selk, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
Adjective
The gallery’s wall configuration, which has been fixed for quite some time, has now been opened up in refreshingly spacious ways that allow a viewer to visually cross-reference paintings.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2022
This is despite progress; many country national climate action plans now cross-reference gender, and country delegations include more women.
—Catherine McKenna, Scientific American, 8 Nov. 2022
Some problems occurred because the system didn’t properly cross-reference country codes used on a money-laundering watchlist with the country codes used to process wire transfers, the SEC said.
—Richard Vanderford, WSJ, 20 May 2022
State officials regularly cross-reference voting records with BMV records, which list someone’s citizenship status on their driver’s license.
—Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland, 12 July 2021
This process sees them cross-reference lists of the dead from the Washington Department of Health and the Social Security Administration.
—Tim Gruver, Washington Examiner, 11 Dec. 2020
The access could help OFAC cross-reference information with other investigators, including those in the U.S. intelligence community, said Mr. Lorber, a former senior adviser to the Treasury’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.
—Jack Hagel, WSJ, 7 Sep. 2020
Verb
Gold threads reference the Persian folklore of magic carpets, suggesting journeys across space and time.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2024
While Cole has been vocal in his response to Lamar, Drake only vaguely referenced the verse during a show shortly after.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
Still, the email references commercial surveillance provider NSO Group, an Israeli company notorious for developing the Pegasus spyware, which can sometimes hijack a smartphone simply by sending the user a single message.
—Michael Kan, PCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024
Flyover country Some waypoints reference Missouri and Kansas’ agricultural roots.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024
And a fan at a Bruce Springsteen concert came with a sign that referenced the musician’s guest appearance on the show.
—Whitney Friedlander, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
In a statement on the bill, Wyden referenced Microsoft’s wide reach within the federal government.
—Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 8 Apr. 2024
Mullins has referenced antisemitic conspiracy theories in her sermons at Calvary Church and told her congregation not to read or watch secular news.
—Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 1 Apr. 2024
Mollison references SaGa Launder Bar and Cafe, a former Chicago laundromat with a bar inside and reminisces about attending small raves inside laundromats in the ‘90s in London.
—Lina Abascal, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reference.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near reference
Cite this Entry
“Reference.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reference. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
reference
1 of 2 noun
ref·er·ence
ˈref-ərn(t)s
ˈref-(ə-)rən(t)s
1
: the act of referring
2
: a relation to or concern with something : respect
with reference to what was said
3
a
: a remark referring to something : allusion
made reference to our agreement
b
: a sign or indication referring a reader to another book or portion of a written work
c
: use as sources of information
volumes for ready reference
4
a
: a person to whom questions as to another person's honesty or ability can be addressed
b
: a statement of the qualifications of a person seeking employment or appointment given by someone familiar with them
c
: a book, document, or portion of a written work to which a reader is referred
reference
2 of 2 adjective
: used or usable for reference
a reference point
Medical Definition
reference
1 of 2 adjective
ref·er·ence
ˈref-(ə-)rən(t)s
: of known potency and used as a standard in the biological assay of a sample of the same drug of unknown strength
a dose of reference cod-liver oil
reference
2 of 2Legal Definition
reference
noun
ref·er·ence
ˈre-frəns, -fə-rəns
1
: an act of referring
specifically
: mention or citation of one document (as a statute) in another
a municipality may adopt by reference all or a part of this title —Alaska Statutes
see also incorporate
Alaska Statutes 2
: a referral especially to a legislative committee or master
also
: an order referring a matter to a master
the extent to which any party is more responsible than other parties for the reference to a master —Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 53(g)
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 53(g) Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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