Finesentence logo

Referencing: meaning, definitions and examples

📚
Add to dictionary

referencing

 

[ ˈrɛfərənsɪŋ ]

Noun / Verb
Context #1 | Noun

citation mechanism

Referencing is the practice of acknowledging and citing sources of information, ideas, or text that you use in your work. It is essential in academic writing to give credit to original authors and to provide a path for readers to access those sources. Proper referencing helps to avoid plagiarism, which is using someone else's work without proper acknowledgment. Additionally, it adds credibility to your own work by showing that you have researched the subject thoroughly.

Synonyms

attribution, citation, documentation

Examples of usage

  • The paper required proper referencing of sources.
  • She spent hours formatting her referencing according to the required style.
  • Referencing is often included in academic integrity policies.
Context #2 | Verb

to cite

Referencing can also be used as a verb meaning to cite or mention a source of information in your work. This is commonly done in essays, research papers, and articles to support arguments or claims. It involves not only mentioning the source but also providing enough details so that readers can find it themselves.

Synonyms

cite, mention, quote

Examples of usage

  • Make sure to referencing all the articles you used.
  • She is good at referencing old texts in her analysis.
  • He forgot to referencing one key study in his report.

Translations

Translations of the word "referencing" in other languages:

🇵🇹 referenciamento

🇮🇳 संदर्भित करना

🇩🇪 Referenzierung

🇮🇩 referensi

🇺🇦 посилання

🇵🇱 odnoszenie

🇯🇵 参照

🇫🇷 référencement

🇪🇸 referencia

🇹🇷 referans verme

🇰🇷 참조

🇸🇦 الإشارة

🇨🇿 odkazování

🇸🇰 odkazovanie

🇨🇳 引用

🇸🇮 sklicevanje

🇮🇸 vísun

🇰🇿 сілтеме беру

🇬🇪 რეფერირება

🇦🇿 istiqamət

🇲🇽 referencia

Etymology

The word 'referencing' has its roots in the Latin verb 'referre,' meaning 'to bring back, to carry back.' This evolved into the Old French 'referer,' which means 'to refer, relate.' In English, the term began to appear around the late 14th century, where it initially took on a more general meaning of 'to relate or refer to.' By the 19th century, the specific use of 'referencing' in academic contexts became more defined, particularly with the rise of formal education and scholarly publishing. The practice of referencing has grown significantly alongside the expansion of literature and research disciplines, becoming a fundamental aspect of academic rigor and integrity. In modern times, with the advent of digital sources and databases, referencing has adapted to include new formats such as online articles, websites, and multimedia sources.

Word Frequency Rank

With rank #19,940, this word belongs to specialized vocabulary. While not common in everyday speech, it enriches your ability to express complex ideas.