ENGLISH
REFERENCE

reference

n. C / U
B1 Intermediate Oxford US //ˈɹɛfɝəns// UK //ɹˈɛfɹəns// ref·er·ence Archaic General-service Literary

n. a mention of something or a place where you can find information. It can also be a letter from a former boss that describes your skills and character.

n. an act of mentioning or alluding to something; a source of information used for consultation. In a professional context, it denotes a formal statement regarding a person's character or qualifications.


SIMPLE

Please include a list of references with your job application.

CONTEXTUAL

The author makes a brief reference to his childhood in the first chapter of the book.

COMPLEX

The researcher provided a comprehensive list of references to support her claims, ensuring that every data point could be verified through primary sources.

Synonyms
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.

Usage

Countable when referring to a specific mention or a person; uncountable when referring to the act of looking for information (e.g., 'for future reference').

Pitfall

I have many good references in my CVI have many good references on my CVWhile 'in' is used for the contents of a book, 'on' is the standard preposition for a CV or resume.

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