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

At Brentford, the assistant referee at that end of the pitch would have had a decent view throughout, as the defender was his point of reference for offside and was right in front of him. — Graham Scott, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Our only recent point of reference for a 'flying' car is the BYD Yangwang U9 which managed a 20-ft leap over spikes last year, enabled by a wicked active suspension system. — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 14 Sep. 2026

For a point of reference, more than 60% of women who are BRCA-positive will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, compared to 13% of women in general, per the National Cancer Institute. — Caitlin Carlson, Glamour, 10 Sep. 2026

As one point of reference, YouTube’s $2 billion of Sunday Ticket spending looks smaller when put next to parent company Alphabet’s planned $200 billion in capital expenditures this year, driven by demand for AI infrastructure. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for point of reference

• deference
• preference