Referendum

See also: referendum, référendum, referéndum, and referèndum

German

From Latin referendum. Much reinforced in recent years by English referendum.

Referendum n (strong, genitive Referendums, plural Referenden)

referendum (direct popular vote on a proposed law or other political decision)
Synonyms: (chiefly learned) Plebiszit; (chiefly non-binding) Volksbefragung; (all German states except Baden-Württemberg) Volksentscheid; (Austria, and Baden-Württemberg) Volksabstimmung

In German, the word is used chiefly for referendums at the national level or, in the case of independence referendums, the level of regions striving for independence. For other regional and for local votes, the terms Volksentscheid and (in Baden-Württemberg and Austria) Volksabstimmung (until recently preferred in all contexts) remain more common and are treated as synonyms.
In German in Switzerland, the term Referendum is only used for referendums proposed by the government or parliament. The term Volksabstimmung is used for the process of voting on both laws proposed by the government or parliament and popular initiatives proposed by a minimum number of citizens, called Volksinitiativen.

Declension of Referendum