ref·er·ence
ˈre-fərn(t)s 
ˈre-f(ə-)rən(t)s
1
: the act of referring or consulting
2
: a bearing on a matter : relation
in reference to your recent letter
3
4
: one referred to or consulted: such as
a
: a person to whom inquiries as to character or ability can be made
b
: a statement of the qualifications of a person seeking employment or appointment given by someone familiar with the person
c(1)
: a source of information (such as a book or passage) to which a reader or consulter is referred
(2)
: a work (such as a dictionary or encyclopedia) containing useful facts or information
d
: used or usable for reference
especially
: constituting a standard for measuring or constructing
referenced; referencing
1
a
: to supply with references
b
: to cite in or as a reference
2
: to put in a form (such as a table) adapted to easy reference
Synonyms
Examples of reference in a Sentence
Noun
references to an earlier event
The numbers were calculated by reference to the most recent census.
Reference to a map will make the position clear.
She listed her former teacher as a reference when she applied for the job.
Her former teacher gave her a reference when she applied for the job.
Her teacher gave her a letter of reference.
Adjective
a list of reference materials
Verb
The book references many other authors who have written on this topic.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 28 Sep. 2023
The designers noted that their work is for a woman who knows her references, even if that means skewing niche.
—Tina Isaac-Goizé, Vogue, 26 Sep. 2023
Tytler also placed them under the care of Port Blair’s chaplain, one Reverend Henry Fisher Corbyn, a young Anglican priest with a divinity degree and impeccable references.
—Adam Goodheart, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Sep. 2023
There are no gaudy mentions of Gaudi or knowing references to vermouth hour; the Circle takes Witold out for an Italian meal, not for tapas.
—Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2023
The question, though, is whether the musical’s references are so quintessentially British as to be less reflexively funny to American audiences.
—Peter Marks, Washington Post, 23 Sep. 2023
This previously unknown reference features a complete calendar mechanism and is expected to fetch a pretty penny this November with estimates ranging $1-2 million.
—Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 22 Sep. 2023
The reference is to Flannery Associates, a group of tech billionaires and capital investors that has spent more than $800 million in recent years buying up undeveloped land in the county with the apparent intent of building a new city, according to surveys sent to local residents.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2023
Colorado State coach Jay Norvell added some spice to the rivalry on his show Wednesday night by making a reference to Sanders’ tendency to wear a hat along with sunglasses at news conferences.
—Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 16 Sep. 2023
Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2022
This is despite progress; many country national climate action plans now cross-reference gender, and country delegations include more women.
—Catherine McKenna, Scientific American, 8 Nov. 2022
Some problems occurred because the system didn’t properly cross-reference country codes used on a money-laundering watchlist with the country codes used to process wire transfers, the SEC said.
—Richard Vanderford, WSJ, 20 May 2022
State officials regularly cross-reference voting records with BMV records, which list someone’s citizenship status on their driver’s license.
—Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland, 12 July 2021
This process sees them cross-reference lists of the dead from the Washington Department of Health and the Social Security Administration.
—Tim Gruver, Washington Examiner, 11 Dec. 2020
The access could help OFAC cross-reference information with other investigators, including those in the U.S. intelligence community, said Mr. Lorber, a former senior adviser to the Treasury’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.
—Jack Hagel, WSJ, 7 Sep. 2020
Zack Sharf, Variety, 28 Sep. 2023
The illustration Radburn found stands out in that it is described in a contemporaneous account and appears to reference not just British nobility but the sovereign in particular.
—Karla Adam, Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2023
The counterattack Miller referenced took place in the game’s 16th minute, when Las Vegas goalkeeper Alan Diaz gathered the ball and rocketed a kick that traveled deep into the San Diego end, where it was gathered by Azriel Gonzalez.
—Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2023
Vince Vaughn appeared to have a ball while referencing some of the popular films from his oeuvre during an appearance on ESPN’s College GameDay.
—Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Sep. 2023
His legacy as a staunch advocate for diversity and equity was referenced throughout the event by presenters and honorees.
—Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 22 Sep. 2023
The filing referenced a heart attack Newman suffered in June 2021 and a fainting incident in May 2022, and noted that her workload had been reduced.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2023
Bird referenced a demonstration from the launch event that showed Copilot drafting an email on a user’s behalf.
—Monica Chin, The Verge, 21 Sep. 2023
The study referenced SpotHero, a parking app, to find the least expensive monthly parking rate in each city’s most central area.
—Michael Kolomatsky, New York Times, 21 Sep. 2023
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Noun
The clue package also included bulldogs, a Hawaiian shirt, pom poms and a reference to Hello, Dolly!
—Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 28 Sep. 2023
The designers noted that their work is for a woman who knows her references, even if that means skewing niche.
—Tina Isaac-Goizé, Vogue, 26 Sep. 2023
Tytler also placed them under the care of Port Blair’s chaplain, one Reverend Henry Fisher Corbyn, a young Anglican priest with a divinity degree and impeccable references.
—Adam Goodheart, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Sep. 2023
There are no gaudy mentions of Gaudi or knowing references to vermouth hour; the Circle takes Witold out for an Italian meal, not for tapas.
—Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2023
The question, though, is whether the musical’s references are so quintessentially British as to be less reflexively funny to American audiences.
—Peter Marks, Washington Post, 23 Sep. 2023
This previously unknown reference features a complete calendar mechanism and is expected to fetch a pretty penny this November with estimates ranging $1-2 million.
—Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 22 Sep. 2023
The reference is to Flannery Associates, a group of tech billionaires and capital investors that has spent more than $800 million in recent years buying up undeveloped land in the county with the apparent intent of building a new city, according to surveys sent to local residents.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2023
Colorado State coach Jay Norvell added some spice to the rivalry on his show Wednesday night by making a reference to Sanders’ tendency to wear a hat along with sunglasses at news conferences.
—Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 16 Sep. 2023
Adjective
The gallery’s wall configuration, which has been fixed for quite some time, has now been opened up in refreshingly spacious ways that allow a viewer to visually cross-reference paintings.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2022
This is despite progress; many country national climate action plans now cross-reference gender, and country delegations include more women.
—Catherine McKenna, Scientific American, 8 Nov. 2022
Some problems occurred because the system didn’t properly cross-reference country codes used on a money-laundering watchlist with the country codes used to process wire transfers, the SEC said.
—Richard Vanderford, WSJ, 20 May 2022
State officials regularly cross-reference voting records with BMV records, which list someone’s citizenship status on their driver’s license.
—Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland, 12 July 2021
This process sees them cross-reference lists of the dead from the Washington Department of Health and the Social Security Administration.
—Tim Gruver, Washington Examiner, 11 Dec. 2020
The access could help OFAC cross-reference information with other investigators, including those in the U.S. intelligence community, said Mr. Lorber, a former senior adviser to the Treasury’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.
—Jack Hagel, WSJ, 7 Sep. 2020
Verb
Many of them referenced a scene in witch Jack Black’s teacher gives Tomika a pep talk about body positivity.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 28 Sep. 2023
The illustration Radburn found stands out in that it is described in a contemporaneous account and appears to reference not just British nobility but the sovereign in particular.
—Karla Adam, Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2023
The counterattack Miller referenced took place in the game’s 16th minute, when Las Vegas goalkeeper Alan Diaz gathered the ball and rocketed a kick that traveled deep into the San Diego end, where it was gathered by Azriel Gonzalez.
—Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2023
Vince Vaughn appeared to have a ball while referencing some of the popular films from his oeuvre during an appearance on ESPN’s College GameDay.
—Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Sep. 2023
His legacy as a staunch advocate for diversity and equity was referenced throughout the event by presenters and honorees.
—Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 22 Sep. 2023
The filing referenced a heart attack Newman suffered in June 2021 and a fainting incident in May 2022, and noted that her workload had been reduced.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2023
Bird referenced a demonstration from the launch event that showed Copilot drafting an email on a user’s behalf.
—Monica Chin, The Verge, 21 Sep. 2023
The study referenced SpotHero, a parking app, to find the least expensive monthly parking rate in each city’s most central area.
—Michael Kolomatsky, New York Times, 21 Sep. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reference.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing reference
Dictionary Entries Near reference
Cite this Entry
“Reference.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reference. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.
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Kids Definition
reference
1 of 2 noun
ref·er·ence
ˈref-ərn(t)s
ˈref-(ə-)rən(t)s
1
: the act of referring
2
: a relation to or concern with something : respect
with reference to what was said
3
a
: a remark referring to something : allusion
made reference to our agreement
b
: a sign or indication referring a reader to another book or portion of a written work
c
: use as sources of information
volumes for ready reference
4
a
: a person to whom questions as to another person's honesty or ability can be addressed
b
: a statement of the qualifications of a person seeking employment or appointment given by someone familiar with them
c
: a book, document, or portion of a written work to which a reader is referred
reference
2 of 2 adjective
: used or usable for reference
a reference point
Medical Definition
reference
1 of 2 adjective
ref·er·ence
ˈref-(ə-)rən(t)s
: of known potency and used as a standard in the biological assay of a sample of the same drug of unknown strength
a dose of reference cod-liver oil
reference
2 of 2
Legal Definition
reference
noun
ref·er·ence
ˈre-frəns, -fə-rəns
1
: an act of referring
specifically
: mention or citation of one document (as a statute) in another
a municipality may adopt by reference all or a part of this title —Alaska Statutes
see also incorporate
Alaska Statutes 2
: a referral especially to a legislative committee or master
also
: an order referring a matter to a master
the extent to which any party is more responsible than other parties for the reference to a master —Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 53(g)
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 53(g)
More from Merriam-Webster on reference
Nglish: Translation of reference for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of reference for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about reference
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