point of reference
noun phrase
: something that is used to judge or understand something else
The professor used the study as a point of reference for evaluating and discussing other theories.
Examples of point of reference in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And Witt has another point of reference to define where the Titans are at in Year Three.
—
Brian Robin, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 2025
And, on the subject of those other sports, the 4 Nations Face-Off was a natural point of reference.
—Joe Kozlowski, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Lana Turner, who features opposite Montalban here, was also a powerful point of reference for Lopez, who modeled the persona of star Ingrid Luna after a combination of Rita Hayworth and Turner.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Oct. 2025
Much more was delivered as the collection unfolded, bringing the style tropes and the histories of the house into a fresh, even disruptive sophistication and a contemporaneity that returned Coco Chanel as the point of reference all at once.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025
Following her conversations with Lythcott, one point of reference Escobedo returned to was the residential stoop, where so many of Harlem’s residents spend their time with their families and neighbors.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
One of the book’s goals was to help create a point of reference that future scholars can build on, challenge, or revise.
—Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 8 Oct. 2025
Ditka’s point of reference was Jim Grabowski, a Chicago kid who starred at fullback in college for Illinois and then for five seasons in the mid-1960s with Ditka’s archrival Green Bay Packers.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025
As a point of reference, that’s a little longer than the autonomous spaceport drone ship (ASDS) that measures 91 meters (300 feet) in length.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 8 Aug. 2025
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Brian Robin, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 2025
And, on the subject of those other sports, the 4 Nations Face-Off was a natural point of reference.
—Joe Kozlowski, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Lana Turner, who features opposite Montalban here, was also a powerful point of reference for Lopez, who modeled the persona of star Ingrid Luna after a combination of Rita Hayworth and Turner.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Oct. 2025
Much more was delivered as the collection unfolded, bringing the style tropes and the histories of the house into a fresh, even disruptive sophistication and a contemporaneity that returned Coco Chanel as the point of reference all at once.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025
Following her conversations with Lythcott, one point of reference Escobedo returned to was the residential stoop, where so many of Harlem’s residents spend their time with their families and neighbors.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
One of the book’s goals was to help create a point of reference that future scholars can build on, challenge, or revise.
—Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 8 Oct. 2025
Ditka’s point of reference was Jim Grabowski, a Chicago kid who starred at fullback in college for Illinois and then for five seasons in the mid-1960s with Ditka’s archrival Green Bay Packers.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025
As a point of reference, that’s a little longer than the autonomous spaceport drone ship (ASDS) that measures 91 meters (300 feet) in length.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Point of reference.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/point%20of%20reference. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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