referendum

plural referenda · plural referendums

1. governmentA direct popular vote on a proposed law or constitutional amendment.

   a referendum on …

   4 more examples

   In some cases, a referendum on the proposed bond issue must be held.

   1975, Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, Informational Bulletin

   Article 74: The Republic of Karakalpakstan shall have the right to secede from the Republic of Uzbekistan on the basis of a nation-wide referendum held by the people of Karakalpakstan.

   2003, Constitution of Uzbekistan

   Although the Cook Islands held a referendum in 1994, when voters rejected a name change, the yearning for a decolonised identity has not disappeared.

   2019, Nalini Mohabir, “Renaming the Cook Islands would be a vital step towards true independence”, in Guardian.

   [Salvador] Illa ascribed the nationalist surge in Catalonia that fuelled support for the 2017 referendum – and Brexit in the UK – as populist responses to the financial crisis of 2008.

   2025 October 16, Patrick Wintour, “Catalonia’s Socialist president: tackling inequality can blunt separatist and far-right voices”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

   Synonyms: plebiscite

2. An action, choice, etc., which is perceived as passing judgment on another matter.

   My father is taking my decision on whether to go to university as a referendum on his performance as a parent, and it's very stressful.