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.
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of referendum
That 1% was originally implemented in 1993 and most recently continued in April 2019 when voters approved a $226 million bond referendum with 10 issues.
—
Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2025
The General Assembly has given Mecklenburg County permission to put a referendum on the ballot to raise the county’s sales tax to fund road, rail and bus projects.
—Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2025
Taiwan president Lai Ching-te promised to honor the referendum result while focusing on diverse energy sources.
—Yu-Tzu Chiu, IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
Alex Titcomb, who is a lead proponent of enacting the referendum on absentee voting in the upcoming elections, said this ballot incident is exactly why constituents in Maine need stricter absentee voting regulations.
—Mason Leath, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for referendum
Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2025
The General Assembly has given Mecklenburg County permission to put a referendum on the ballot to raise the county’s sales tax to fund road, rail and bus projects.
—Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2025
Taiwan president Lai Ching-te promised to honor the referendum result while focusing on diverse energy sources.
—Yu-Tzu Chiu, IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
Alex Titcomb, who is a lead proponent of enacting the referendum on absentee voting in the upcoming elections, said this ballot incident is exactly why constituents in Maine need stricter absentee voting regulations.
—Mason Leath, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for referendum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for referendum
Noun
-
The grand jury that approved the charges against Comey was divided, as 14 of the 23 jurors approved the two counts, just over the necessary 12-vote threshold.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Shareholders with voting rights get a vote at the annual general meeting on minor administrative matters — for example, the appointment of auditors or a change of bankers.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
When a federal district judge threw out Bost's lawsuit in 2022, the decision stemmed from the question of whether the congressman and the electors had the grounds to sue, not the merits of his legal argument about mail-in ballots.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
8 Oct. 2025
-
The state uses a jungle primary system, where all candidates, regardless of political party, run on a single ballot for the primary.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Referendum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/referendum. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share