What does "reference" mean?
Reference: That which refers to something; a specific direction of the attention; as, a reference in a text-book.
Additional senses
- 2.Relation; regard; respect. Something that hath a reference to my state. Shak.
- 3.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.
- 4.(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.
- 5.Appeal. [R.] "Make your full reference." Shak. Reference Bible, a Bible in which brief explanations, and references to parallel passages, are printed in the margin of the text.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
- Canonical URL: https://worddirectanswers.com/answers/what-does-reference-mean
- Steward: Jason Burns
- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00