Advertisement
English Lexicon

Referent

/ˈrɛf.ər.ənt/
nounadjectiveCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #14500 frequency
Full Thesaurus

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    The thing in the external world that a word, phrase, or linguistic expression points to or denotes.

    "In the sentence 'The dog barked', the specific canine in the yard is the referent of the noun 'dog'."
  2. 2

    A person or thing to which reference is made.

    "The pronoun 'she' requires a clear antecedent and referent within the previous discourse."
Advertisement

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the Latin 'referentem', the accusative form of 'referens', present participle of 'referre' (to bring back, to refer). It entered English in the 19th century through semiotics and linguistics, specifically popularized by Ogden and Richards in 'The Meaning of Meaning' (1923) to designate the actual object or concept in the world to which a linguistic sign or symbol refers.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Referent"?

Advertisement

10 Global Lexicons: How "Referent" is said worldwide

Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration

Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Referent"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Referent" Synonym Map
Advertisement