referendum
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a vote where all citizens can say 'yes' or 'no' to a specific plan or law.
a direct and universal vote in which an entire electorate is invited to vote on a particular proposal. The plural can be either 'referendums' or 'referenda'.
Simple“The government decided to hold a referendum to see if people wanted to join the trade union.”
In context“The constitutional amendment was eventually ratified following a nationwide referendum that saw a record-breaking turnout of young voters.”
UsageThe plural 'referendums' is more common in modern English than the Latin 'referenda'.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
an event or choice that shows what most people think about a leader or a situation.
an event, action, or election result perceived as a collective judgment on a specific person, policy, or performance.
Simple“Many people saw the local election as a referendum on the president's new tax plan.”
In context“Political analysts interpreted the sudden drop in consumer spending as a silent referendum on the administration's failing economic policies.”
“St-Pierre Plamondon affirmed that he intended to seek an independence referendum should his party win this year.”
“The election was seen as a referendum on his economic record, which has boasted debt restructuring, currency strengthening and lowered inflation.”
From Latin referendum (“that which ought to be announced”), from refero (“to announce”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.