# reference

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɹɛf.(ə.)ɹəns/ · frequency rank #1,876

## Definitions
1. A relationship or relation (to something).
2. A measurement one can compare (some other measurement) to.
3. Information about a person, provided by someone (a referee) with whom they are well acquainted.
4. A person who provides this information; a referee.
5. A reference work.
6. The act of referring: a submitting for information or decision.
7. A relation between objects in which one object designates, or acts as a means by which to connect to or link to, another object.
8. A short written identification of a previously published work which is used as a source for a text.
9. A previously published written work thus indicated; a source.
10. An object containing information which refers to data stored elsewhere, as opposed to containing the data itself.
11. A special sequence used to represent complex characters in markup languages, such as ™ for the ™ symbol.
12. Appeal.

## Etymology
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.

## Easily confused with
- **reverence** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reference-vs-reverence)
- **references** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reference-vs-references)
- **referee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/referee-vs-reference)

## Common misspellings (14)
`erference`, `reefrence`, `refeernce`, `referance`, `referecne`, `referencce`, `referenec`, `referennce`, `refernece`, `referrence`, `refference`, `refreence`, `rfeerence`, `rreference`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/reference