What does "reference" mean?

1. (mentioning something) the act of mentioning something or someone in speech or writing. 2. (academic source) a note in a book that tells you where a piece of information came from. 3. (job testimonial) a letter written by someone who knows you, describing your skills to a new employer. 4. (for information) something used to find facts, like a dictionary or a map. 5. (computing pointer) a piece of data that tells a computer where to find other information. 6. (to cite or mention) to mention something or list it as a source.

reference

n. · v.

US //ˈɹɛfɝəns// UK //ɹˈɛfɹəns// ref·er·ence

1 mentioning something (n.)
B1 Intermediate

the act of mentioning something or someone in speech or writing.

the act of mentioning or alluding to something. Often used with the preposition 'to'.

Example

The speaker made a quick reference to the new law during her presentation.

Example

The author made several subtle references to local history that only long-term residents of the town would truly appreciate.
- mention
- allusion
2 academic source (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Academic

a note in a book that tells you where a piece of information came from.

a citation or note in a text that identifies a source of information or a previously published work.

Example

You must include a list of references at the end of your essay.

Example

The professor insisted that every factual claim be supported by a primary source reference to ensure academic integrity.
- citation
- source

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3 job testimonial (n.)
B1 Intermediate

a letter written by someone who knows you, describing your skills to a new employer.

a formal statement or letter provided by a referee regarding a person's character, skills, or previous work performance.

Example

My old manager agreed to write a positive reference for my new job application.

Example

The recruitment agency contacted three professional references to verify the candidate's experience before making a final offer.
- recommendation
- testimonial
4 for information (n.)
B1 Intermediate

something used to find facts, like a dictionary or a map.

a source of information used for consultation, such as a dictionary or encyclopedia. Often used as an attributive noun.

Example

Keep this manual nearby for easy reference while you build the desk.

Example

The library keeps its most valuable reference books in a separate room where they cannot be borrowed.
- resource
- guide
5 computing pointer (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Computing

a piece of data that tells a computer where to find other information.

an object or value that refers to data stored elsewhere in memory rather than containing the data itself.

Example

The program crashed because it tried to access a reference that no longer existed.

Example

Passing a large object by reference is generally more efficient than passing it by value, as it avoids unnecessary data copying.
- pointer
- link
6 to cite or mention (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to mention something or list it as a source.

to provide a list of references for a text or to cite a specific source. Sometimes used as a synonym for 'refer to'.

Example

The report references several studies conducted over the last ten years.

Example

The article extensively references recent breakthroughs in quantum computing to support its predictions about future encryption.

Origin

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.