reference

plural references

1. archaiccountableliteraryuncountableA relationship or relation (to something).

   A man is beloued of a man, in that he is a man, but all theſe are farre more eminent and great, when they ſhal proceed from a ſanctified ſpirit, that hath a true touch of Religion, and a reference to God.

   1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Charity, compoſed of all three kindes, Pleaſant, Profitable, Honeſt”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 3, section 1, member 3, subsection 1, page 349

2. countableuncountableA measurement one can compare (some other measurement) to.
3. countableuncountableInformation about a person, provided by someone (a referee) with whom they are well acquainted.

   Changes will befall, and friends may part, / But distance only cannot change the heart / And were I call’d to prove th’ assertion true, / One proof should serve—a reference to you.

   a. 1800, William Cowper, “An Epistle to Joseph Hill, Esq.”, in The Task, Tirocinium, and Other Poems, page 180

4. UScountableespeciallyuncountableA person who provides this information; a referee.
5. attributivecountableoftenuncountableA reference work.

   reference grammar

   detailed linguistic description of a particular language's grammar

   1 more example

   Reference Dictionary of Linguistics

6. countableuncountableThe act of referring: a submitting for information or decision.
7. countableuncountablehuman sciencesA relation between objects in which one object designates, or acts as a means by which to connect to or link to, another object.
8. countableliteraryuncountablecommunicationsA short written identification of a previously published work which is used as a source for a text.
9. countableliteraryuncountablecommunicationsA previously published written work thus indicated; a source.
10. countableuncountablecomputingAn object containing information which refers to data stored elsewhere, as opposed to containing the data itself.
11. countableuncountablecharacter entitycomputingA special sequence used to represent complex characters in markup languages, such as ™ for the ™ symbol.
12. countableobsoleteuncountableAppeal.

    Y’are falne into a Princely hand, feare nothing, / Make your full reference freely to my Lord, / Who is ſo full of Grace, that it flowes ouer / On all that neede.

    c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii], page 365, column 1

present singular third person references · participle present referencing · participle past referenced · past referenced

1. To provide a list of references for (a text).

   You must thoroughly reference your paper before submitting it.

2. occasionally proscribedTo cite, to use as a reference.

   Reference the dictionary for word meanings.

   3 more examples

   The penchant for synthesizing the work of others that pervades British scholarship has been described by one of my cynical American colleagues as “a giant bibliography that is always eating its own tail.” By this he means that cliques of like-minded writers tend to reference each other’s work incessantly.

   1990, Thomas L. Bell, “Political Economy's Response to Positivism”, in Geographical Review, volume 80, number 3, American Geographical Society, →JSTOR, page 314

   Written information is a relatively new phenomenon. Depositing it and being able to reference it centuries later is not common human experience.

   1994 September 28, Barry Chamish, quoting Louis Rossetto, “The End of the Book”, in The Atlantic

   On the Florence Harding page, for instance, a researcher will be able to reference a book by Waarren Harding’s alleged mistress, Nan Britton, who claimed that she bore his daughter.

   1998 January 26, Donnie Radcliffe, “New Library Will Chronicle First Ladies”, in The Washington Post, page C1+

3. proscribedsometimesTo mention, to refer to.

   In his speech, the candidate obliquely referenced the past failures of his opponent.

   4 more examples

   Humanities institutions specifically reference the work setting for illustrative applications of the unique and significant contributions of the Humanities.

   1988, Integrating the Humanities into Associate Degree Occupational Programs, American Association of Community Colleges, →ISBN, page 25

   With the economy characteristic of all African sculpture, these portraits reference individual and social identities simultaneously, so that the image of a king may represent a particular king and all kings; a commemorative mask for a woman, a particular woman and all titled women.

   1990, Jean Borgatti, “Portraiture in Africa”, in African Arts, volume 23, number 3, page 37

   And I would simply reference those of you who are out there working.

   1991 January 19, Bobby Ray Inman, “A Nominee’s Withdrawal: Transcript of the Statement by Inman on His Decision to Withdraw”, in The New York Times, page A14

   While Trump has not explicitly mentioned habeas corpus in public, it’s what he was referencing last month when he commented on steps he could take to combat nationwide injunctions against his actions on deportations, according to one of the people familiar with the talks.

   2025 May 9, Kaitlan Collins, Samantha Waldenberg and Tierney Sneed, “Trump involved in discussions over suspending habeas corpus, sources say”, in CNN

4. computingTo contain the value that is a memory address of some value stored in memory.

   The given pointer will reference the actual generated data.