frame of reference

noun phrase

1

: an arbitrary set of axes with reference to which the position or motion of something is described or physical laws are formulated

2

: a set of ideas, conditions, or assumptions that determine how something will be approached, perceived, or understood

The biographer tries to provide a frame of reference through which the author's work can be understood.

Examples of frame of reference in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On the other hand, relativity tells us that changing the observer’s frame of reference amounts to nothing but a transformation of spacetime coordinates so as to describe an object. — Aaron Shattuck, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026

That means getting outside the company’s usual frame of reference and doing the kind of work that my friend on the panel was talking about. — Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

None are quite about the conflicting frames of reference and value that arise when an ancient cultural formation disintegrates and a successor has yet to take its place. — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026

This might be a helpful frame of reference to share with Matthews’ children. — Zach Berman, New York Times, 11 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for frame of reference

• deference
• preference