reference
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A short written identification of a previously published work which is used as a source for a text.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
rehferuhnsSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈɹɛfɚəns
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The act of referring or consulting
“Reference to an encyclopedia produced the answer.”
The act of referring: a submitting for information or decision.
academic writing
A short written identification of a previously published work which is used as a source for a text.
academic writing
A previously published written work thus indicated; a source.
A measurement one can compare (some other measurement) to.
Information about a person, provided by someone (a referee) with whom they are well acquainted.
verb
To provide a list of references for (a text).
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The act of referring or consulting
Used this way, reference is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“Reference to an encyclopedia produced the answer.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “reference to …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: reference to …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use reference
- “Reference to an encyclopedia produced the answer.”noun
- “He contributed articles to the basic reference work on that topic.”noun
- “It is used as a reference for comparing the heating and the electrical energy involved.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A book to which you can refer for authoritative facts.
A book to which you can refer for authoritative facts.
A system that uses coordinates to establish position.
A pattern of horizontal and vertical lines that provide coordinates for locating points on an image or a map.
A manual containing information organized in a summary manner.
An indicator that orients you generally.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: referring or consulting
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.