reference

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reference and reference (computer science)

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From Middle French référence, from Medieval Latin referentia, nominative neuter plural of referēns, present participle of referō (“return, reply”, literally “carry back”). Morphologically refer +‎ -ence.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹɛf.(ə)ɹəns/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• (obsolete) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɛfəɹɛns/
• Hyphenation: ref‧er‧ence
• Rhymes: -ɛfəɹəns

reference (countable and uncountable, plural references)

1. (literary or archaic) A relationship or relation (to something).
   • 1624, Democritus Junior , “Charity, compoſed of all three kindes, Pleaſant, Profitable, Honeſt”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: , 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 3, section 1, member 3, subsection 1, page 349:

     A man is beloued of a man, in that he is a man, but all theſe are farre more eminent and great, when they ſhal proceed from a ſanctified ſpirit, that hath a true touch of Religion, and a reference to God.

2. A measurement one can compare (some other measurement) to.
3. Information about a person, provided by someone (a referee) with whom they are well acquainted.
   • a. 1800, William Cowper, “An Epistle to Joseph Hill, Esq.”, in The Task, Tirocinium, and Other Poems, page 180:

     Changes will befall, and friends may part, / But distance only cannot change the heart / And were I call’d to prove th’ assertion true, / One proof should serve—a reference to you.

4. (UK, Ireland) A person who provides this information; a referee.
5. (often attributive) A reference work.

   reference grammar ― detailed linguistic description of a particular language's grammar

   Reference Dictionary of Linguistics

6. The act of referring: a submitting for information or decision.
7. (semantics) A relation between objects in which one object designates, or acts as a means by which to connect to or link to, another object.
8. (academic writing) A short written identification of a previously published work which is used as a source for a text.
9. (academic writing) A previously published written work thus indicated; a source.
10. (computing) An object containing information which refers to data stored elsewhere, as opposed to containing the data itself.
11. (programming, character entity) A special sequence used to represent complex characters in markup languages, such as ™ for the ™ symbol.
12. (obsolete) Appeal.
    • c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 365, column 1:

      Y’are falne into a Princely hand, feare nothing, / Make your full reference freely to my Lord, / Who is ſo full of Grace, that it flowes ouer / On all that neede.

• sense
• handle

reference (third-person singular simple present references, present participle referencing, simple past and past participle referenced)

1. To provide a list of references for (a text).

   You must thoroughly reference your paper before submitting it.

2. (occasionally proscribed) To cite, to use as a reference.

   Reference the dictionary for word meanings.

   • 1990, Thomas L. Bell, “Political Economy's Response to Positivism”, in Geographical Review, volume 80, number 3, American Geographical Society, →JSTOR, page 314:

     The penchant for synthesizing the work of others that pervades British scholarship has been described by one of my cynical American colleagues as “a giant bibliography that is always eating its own tail.” By this he means that cliques of like-minded writers tend to reference each other’s work incessantly.

   • 1994 September, Barry Chamish, quoting Louis Rossetto, “The End of the Book”, in The Atlantic‎:

     Written information is a relatively new phenomenon. Depositing it and being able to reference it centuries later is not common human experience.

   • 1998 January 26, Donnie Radcliffe, “New Library Will Chronicle First Ladies”, in The Washington Post, page C1+:

     On the Florence Harding page, for instance, a researcher will be able to reference a book by Waarren Harding’s alleged mistress, Nan Britton, who claimed that she bore his daughter.

3. (sometimes proscribed) To mention, to refer to.

   In his speech, the candidate obliquely referenced the past failures of his opponent.

   • 1988, Integrating the Humanities into Associate Degree Occupational Programs, American Association of Community Colleges, →ISBN, page 25:

     Humanities institutions specifically reference the work setting for illustrative applications of the unique and significant contributions of the Humanities.

   • 1990, Jean Borgatti, “Portraiture in Africa”, in African Arts, volume 23, number 3, page 37:

     With the economy characteristic of all African sculpture, these portraits reference individual and social identities simultaneously, so that the image of a king may represent a particular king and all kings; a commemorative mask for a woman, a particular woman and all titled women.

   • 1991 January 19, Bobby Ray Inman, “A Nominee’s Withdrawal: Transcript of the Statement by Inman on His Decision to Withdraw”, in The New York Times‎, page A14:

     And I would simply reference those of you who are out there working.

   • 2025 May 9, Kaitlan Collins, Samantha Waldenberg and Tierney Sneed, “Trump involved in discussions over suspending habeas corpus, sources say”, in CNN‎:

     While Trump has not explicitly mentioned habeas corpus in public, it’s what he was referencing last month when he commented on steps he could take to combat nationwide injunctions against his actions on deportations, according to one of the people familiar with the talks.

4. (programming) To contain the value that is a memory address of some value stored in memory.

   The given pointer will reference the actual generated data.

• Some authorities object to the use of reference as a verb with a meaning other than “provide a list of references for,” preferring refer to or cite in these cases. Others allow the meaning “cite ” but reject “mention.” Nevertheless, the proscribed usages are common in both writing and speech.

• cross-reference

• referee
• referent
• referential
• relate
• relation

• “reference”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E Smith, editors (1911), “reference”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• “reference”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Borrowed from German Referenz, from French référence.

• IPA^(key):

reference f

1. reference
2. recommendation

• “reference”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “reference”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “reference”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025