as in vote
an event in which the electorate votes for or against a law that deals with a specific issue
They are having a referendum so the public can decide the controversial issue.
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Recent Examples of referendum
Organizers previously collected more than 5,000 signatures in favor of a referendum on the tax breaks for the data center, though the effort was shut down by a Jackson County judge following a lawsuit.
—
Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2026
If the referendum goes to the ballot and is approved by voters, more fine-tuning will have to occur when the Legislature adopts language either in the 2027 session or a special session after the election to allow the state to implement the new law.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2026
The last time the grocery store put the issue to a vote was in a 2012 referendum, when members voted 1,005 to 653 against the boycott, according to a Brooklyn Paper report.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 27 May 2026
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who is running for governor as a Democrat, said Tuesday her staff found that more than 12,000 signatures on the petition for the referendum were invalid.
—ABC News, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for referendum
Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2026
If the referendum goes to the ballot and is approved by voters, more fine-tuning will have to occur when the Legislature adopts language either in the 2027 session or a special session after the election to allow the state to implement the new law.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2026
The last time the grocery store put the issue to a vote was in a 2012 referendum, when members voted 1,005 to 653 against the boycott, according to a Brooklyn Paper report.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 27 May 2026
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who is running for governor as a Democrat, said Tuesday her staff found that more than 12,000 signatures on the petition for the referendum were invalid.
—ABC News, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for referendum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for referendum
Noun
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California uses a top-two primary system, in which all candidates appear on the same ballot and the two highest vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of party.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
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Why are vote counts slow in California?—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
Noun
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With approximately 56% of votes counted, analysts say Steyer would need to outperform Becerra by roughly 12 points in remaining ballots to advance to November.—
Ruyuan Li. Story produced with AI assistance,
Sacbee.com,
5 June 2026
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Leading up to Election Day, the Democratic share of those later ballots, which often determine the outcome in California, was steadily increasing as liberal-leaning voters began to make their choice.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Referendum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/referendum. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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