"referential" meaning in English

See referential in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /ɹɛfəˈɹɛnʃəl/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-referential.wav [Southern-England]
Etymology: Etymology tree English reference Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisder. Old French -ialder. Middle English -ial English -ial English referential From reference + -ial. Etymology templates: {{ety|en|:af|reference|-ial|text=+|tree=1}} Etymology tree English reference Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisder. Old French -ialder. Middle English -ial English -ial English referential [Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from", "terms" : [ { "children" : [ { "keyword_abbrev" : "der.", "keyword_label" : "Derived from", "terms" : [ { "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "children" : [ { "keyword_abbrev" : "der.", "is_uncertain" : true, "keyword_label" : "Derived from", "terms" : [ { "id" : "grow", "children" : [ ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*h₂el-", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword" : "derived" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Italic", "term" : "*-ālis", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "itc-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Latin", "term" : "-ālis", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "la" } ], "keyword" : "derived" } ], "lang_name" : "Old French", "term" : "-ial", "status" : "inline", "lang" : "fro" } ], "keyword" : "derived" } ], "lang_name" : "Middle English", "term" : "-ial", "status" : "inline", "lang" : "enm" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "-ial", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "is_group" : true, "keyword" : "affix" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "referential", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" }" data-lang="en" data-title="referential"> From reference + -ial. Head templates: {{en-adj|-}} referential (not comparable)
  1. Of a word or phrase applied to a particular person, place, or thing and not to any other. Tags: not-comparable
    Sense id: en-referential-en-adj-OQCt6aFr Categories (other): English terms suffixed with -ial Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -ial: 27 37 7 30
  2. (linguistics) Of or relating to a referent. Tags: not-comparable
    Sense id: en-referential-en-adj-~7iFZQkp Categories (other): Linguistics, English entries with etymology texts, English entries with etymology trees, English entries with incorrect language header, English terms suffixed with -ial, Entries with translation boxes, Pages using etymon with no ID, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Pages with etymology trees, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with Finnish translations Disambiguation of English entries with etymology texts: 30 54 0 16 Disambiguation of English entries with etymology trees: 30 54 0 16 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 36 48 3 13 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -ial: 27 37 7 30 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 23 54 0 23 Disambiguation of Pages using etymon with no ID: 24 55 0 21 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 24 55 0 21 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 35 54 0 11 Disambiguation of Pages with etymology trees: 18 72 0 10 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 19 56 7 18 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 19 56 7 18 Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
  3. Of or relating to reference or allusion. Tags: not-comparable
    Sense id: en-referential-en-adj-QXd0Jh2u
  4. Serving as a reference. Tags: not-comparable Translations (serving as a reference): справочен (spravočen) (Bulgarian), viitteellinen (Finnish)
    Sense id: en-referential-en-adj-tJoZLhbh Categories (other): English entries referencing missing etymons, English terms suffixed with -ial Disambiguation of English entries referencing missing etymons: 19 27 17 37 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -ial: 27 37 7 30 Disambiguation of 'serving as a reference': 0 1 3 95
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "autoreferential"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "coreferential"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "coreferentiality"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "coreferentially"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "interreferential"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "irreferential"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "metareferential"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "multireferential"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "nonreferential"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "referential integrity"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "referentialism"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "referentialist"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "referentiality"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "referentially"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "referential opacity"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "referential transparency"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "self-referential"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "reference",
        "4": "-ial",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nEnglish reference\nProto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.?\nProto-Italic *-ālis\nLatin -ālisder.\nOld French -ialder.\nMiddle English -ial\nEnglish -ial\nEnglish referential\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"grow\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*h₂el-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*-ālis\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ālis\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"-ial\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-ial\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-ial\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"referential\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"referential\">\nFrom reference + -ial.",
      "name": "ety"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nEnglish reference\nProto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.?\nProto-Italic *-ālis\nLatin -ālisder.\nOld French -ialder.\nMiddle English -ial\nEnglish -ial\nEnglish referential\nFrom reference + -ial.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "referential (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "27 37 7 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -ial",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of a word or phrase applied to a particular person, place, or thing and not to any other."
      ],
      "id": "en-referential-en-adj-OQCt6aFr",
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Linguistics",
          "orig": "en:Linguistics",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 54 0 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with etymology texts",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 54 0 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with etymology trees",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "36 48 3 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "27 37 7 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -ial",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "23 54 0 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "24 55 0 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages using etymon with no ID",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "24 55 0 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "35 54 0 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "18 72 0 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with etymology trees",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "19 56 7 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "19 56 7 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
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          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              10,
              21
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2011, James Dickins, Extended Axiomatic Linguistics, Walter de Gruyter, page 108:",
          "text": "Thus, the referential location of “town” in an utterance “Went to town”, is simply to be conceived as that location which might also be referred to by “there”, “the place we visited last Thursday”, “your birthplace”, etc.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of or relating to a referent."
      ],
      "id": "en-referential-en-adj-~7iFZQkp",
      "links": [
        [
          "linguistics",
          "linguistics"
        ],
        [
          "referent",
          "referent"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(linguistics) Of or relating to a referent."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "human-sciences",
        "linguistics",
        "sciences"
      ]
    },
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      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
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          "bold_text_offsets": [
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              15,
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            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1990, Gerald Mead, “The Representation of Fictional Character”, in Style, volume 24, number 3, Penn State UP, →JSTOR, page 441:",
          "text": "Above all, the referential approach has proved durable and especially flexible.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              98,
              110
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1991, David Herzberger, “Social Realism and the Contingencies of History in the Contemporary Spanish Novel”, in Hispanic Review, volume 59, number 2, U of Pennsylvania P, →JSTOR, page 161:",
          "text": "In the first place, it must be pointed out that the bond with the past is inferential rather than referential.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of or relating to reference or allusion."
      ],
      "id": "en-referential-en-adj-QXd0Jh2u",
      "links": [
        [
          "reference",
          "reference"
        ],
        [
          "allusion",
          "allusion"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "19 27 17 37",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries referencing missing etymons",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "27 37 7 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -ial",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Serving as a reference."
      ],
      "id": "en-referential-en-adj-tJoZLhbh",
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 1 3 95",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "lang_code": "bg",
          "roman": "spravočen",
          "sense": "serving as a reference",
          "word": "справочен"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 1 3 95",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "lang_code": "fi",
          "sense": "serving as a reference",
          "word": "viitteellinen"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ɹɛfəˈɹɛnʃəl/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-referential.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/70/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-referential.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-referential.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/70/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-referential.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-referential.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "referential"
}
{
  "categories": [
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    "English entries referencing missing etymons",
    "English entries with etymology texts",
    "English entries with etymology trees",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂el- (grow)",
    "English terms suffixed with -ial",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages using etymon with no ID",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Pages with etymology trees",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "autoreferential"
    },
    {
      "word": "coreferential"
    },
    {
      "word": "coreferentiality"
    },
    {
      "word": "coreferentially"
    },
    {
      "word": "interreferential"
    },
    {
      "word": "irreferential"
    },
    {
      "word": "metareferential"
    },
    {
      "word": "multireferential"
    },
    {
      "word": "nonreferential"
    },
    {
      "word": "referential integrity"
    },
    {
      "word": "referentialism"
    },
    {
      "word": "referentialist"
    },
    {
      "word": "referentiality"
    },
    {
      "word": "referentially"
    },
    {
      "word": "referential opacity"
    },
    {
      "word": "referential transparency"
    },
    {
      "word": "self-referential"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
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      "args": {
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        "2": ":af",
        "3": "reference",
        "4": "-ial",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nEnglish reference\nProto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.?\nProto-Italic *-ālis\nLatin -ālisder.\nOld French -ialder.\nMiddle English -ial\nEnglish -ial\nEnglish referential\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"grow\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*h₂el-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*-ālis\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ālis\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"-ial\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-ial\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-ial\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"referential\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"referential\">\nFrom reference + -ial.",
      "name": "ety"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nEnglish reference\nProto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.?\nProto-Italic *-ālis\nLatin -ālisder.\nOld French -ialder.\nMiddle English -ial\nEnglish -ial\nEnglish referential\nFrom reference + -ial.",
  "head_templates": [
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      "expansion": "referential (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Of a word or phrase applied to a particular person, place, or thing and not to any other."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    },
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      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Linguistics"
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          "ref": "2011, James Dickins, Extended Axiomatic Linguistics, Walter de Gruyter, page 108:",
          "text": "Thus, the referential location of “town” in an utterance “Went to town”, is simply to be conceived as that location which might also be referred to by “there”, “the place we visited last Thursday”, “your birthplace”, etc.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of or relating to a referent."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "linguistics",
          "linguistics"
        ],
        [
          "referent",
          "referent"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(linguistics) Of or relating to a referent."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "human-sciences",
        "linguistics",
        "sciences"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
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      "examples": [
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          "ref": "1990, Gerald Mead, “The Representation of Fictional Character”, in Style, volume 24, number 3, Penn State UP, →JSTOR, page 441:",
          "text": "Above all, the referential approach has proved durable and especially flexible.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              98,
              110
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1991, David Herzberger, “Social Realism and the Contingencies of History in the Contemporary Spanish Novel”, in Hispanic Review, volume 59, number 2, U of Pennsylvania P, →JSTOR, page 161:",
          "text": "In the first place, it must be pointed out that the bond with the past is inferential rather than referential.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of or relating to reference or allusion."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "reference",
          "reference"
        ],
        [
          "allusion",
          "allusion"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Serving as a reference."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ɹɛfəˈɹɛnʃəl/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-referential.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/70/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-referential.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-referential.wav.mp3",
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      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "lang_code": "bg",
      "roman": "spravočen",
      "sense": "serving as a reference",
      "word": "справочен"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "sense": "serving as a reference",
      "word": "viitteellinen"
    }
  ],
  "word": "referential"
}

Download raw JSONL data for referential meaning in English (5.8kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-06-07 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-06-01 using wiktextract (e79dea5 and 7f4db16). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.