Origin: Latin suffix -ence
Reference has 13 different meanings across 2 categories:
a short note recognizing a source of information or of a quoted passage
"the student's essay failed to list several important citations"
"the acknowledgments are usually printed at the front of a book"
"the article includes mention of similar clinical cases"
an indicator that orients you generally
"it is used as a reference for comparing the heating and the electrical energy involved"
a book to which you can refer for authoritative facts
"he contributed articles to the basic reference work on that topic"
a formal recommendation by a former employer to a potential future employer describing the person's qualifications and dependability
"requests for character references are all too often answered evasively"
the most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression; the class of objects that an expression refers to
"the extension of `satellite of Mars' is the set containing only Demos and Phobos"
the act of referring or consulting
"reference to an encyclopedia produced the answer"
(computer science) the code that identifies where a piece of information is stored
"The compiler flagged an error because the missing library reference prevented it from locating the data file on the server."
the relation between a word or phrase and the object or idea it refers to
"he argued that reference is a consequence of conditioned reflexes"
A relationship or relation (to something).
"The new policy has no reference to the previous guidelines, so we are starting from scratch."
In plain English: A reference is something that points to or gives more information about another person, place, or thing.
"Please consult the reference guide to find the correct spelling of that word."
To provide a list of references for (a text).
"The editor asked me to reference all the historical sources cited in my article before publication."
In plain English: To reference something means to mention it or point people toward it for more information.
"You can reference the notes at the end of the book to find more information."
Usage: Use this verb when you are formally citing sources to support the claims made in an academic paper or research article. It specifically refers to adding bibliographic details rather than simply mentioning where information was found.
The word reference comes from the Old French référence, which was borrowed from Medieval Latin meaning "a carrying back." Originally used to describe a return or reply, it entered English with this same sense of sending information backward to its source.