reference Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a remark that calls attention to something or someone
    mention.
    • she made frequent mention of her promotion
    • there was no mention of it
    • the speaker made several references to his wife
  2. noun a short note recognizing a source of information or of a quoted passage
    acknowledgment; mention; citation; credit; cite; quotation.
    • the student's essay failed to list several important citations
    • the acknowledgments are usually printed at the front of a book
    • the article includes mention of similar clinical cases
  3. noun an indicator that orients you generally
    point of reference; reference point.
    • it is used as a reference for comparing the heating and the electrical energy involved
  4. noun a book to which you can refer for authoritative facts
    book of facts; reference work; reference book.
    • he contributed articles to the basic reference work on that topic
  5. noun a formal recommendation by a former employer to a potential future employer describing the person's qualifications and dependability
    character reference; character.
    • requests for character references are all too often answered evasively
  6. noun the most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression; the class of objects that an expression refers to
    denotation; extension.
    • the extension of `satellite of Mars' is the set containing only Demos and Phobos
  7. noun the act of referring or consulting
    consultation.
    • reference to an encyclopedia produced the answer
  8. noun a publication (or a passage from a publication) that is referred to
    source.
    • he carried an armful of references back to his desk
    • he spent hours looking for the source of that quotation
  9. noun (computer science) the code that identifies where a piece of information is stored
    computer address; address.
  10. noun the relation between a word or phrase and the object or idea it refers to
    • he argued that reference is a consequence of conditioned reflexes
  11. verb refer to
    cite.
    • he referenced his colleagues' work

WordNet

Ref"er*ence noun
Etymology
See Refer.
Definitions
  1. The act of referring, or the state of being referred; as, reference to a chart for quidance.
  2. That which refers to something; a specific direction of the attention; as, a reference in a text-book.
  3. Relation; regard; respect.
    Something that hath a reference to my state. Shak.
  4. One who, or that which, is referred to. Specifically; (a) One of whom inquires can be made as to the integrity, capacity, and the like, of another. (b) A work, or a passage in a work, to which one is referred.
  5. (Law) (a) The act of submitting a matter in dispute to the judgment of one or more persons for decision. (b) (Equity) The process of sending any matter, for inquiry in a cause, to a master or other officer, in order that he may ascertain facts and report to the court.
  6. Appeal. R. "Make your full reference." Shak.

Webster 1913