SINCE 1828
referent
noun
ref·er·ent
| \ˈre-f(ə-)rənt
\
\
Definition of referent
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Examples of referent in a Sentence
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Framing is an opportunity to break the tremendous power of the image in relation to its referent. — Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader, "An interview with Lucrecia Martel, Argentina's greatest filmmaker," 16 Apr. 2018 This is very unlikely to happen in the sonic dimension, because sound is ambiguous in respect with its referent. — Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader, "An interview with Lucrecia Martel, Argentina's greatest filmmaker," 16 Apr. 2018 Though Cortini is best known as an occasional keyboardist with Nine Inch Nails, that band’s sound has virtually nothing to do with his solo work, which is the closest referent to his King tribute. — Corey Seymour, Vogue, "The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute You Need to Hear Today," 4 Apr. 2018 That black Americans have a month set aside to honor them — outside of a white lens that has often framed them as criminal, negligent, or unworthy of historical referent — isn’t racist against anyone. — Jenn M. Jackson, Teen Vogue, "Black History Month Isn't Racist, It's a Form of Reparations," 6 Feb. 2018 Too many college students were never taught the basic referents of liberal education. — Victor Davis Hanson, The Mercury News, "Hanson: Universities have lost respect of most Americans," 4 May 2017 Mr. Diehl’s clearest referents are the swinging hard-bop pianists John Lewis and Cedar Walton. — New York Times, "Pop, Rock and Jazz in NYC This Week," 20 Apr. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'referent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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