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Referent Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

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referent

[หˆrษ›fษ™rษ™nt ]

Definitions

Context #1 | Noun

in linguistics

A word or phrase which provides the identity of an entity to which a word or phrase refers.

Synonyms

entity, object, subject.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
referent

Usually used in linguistics or philosophy to denote the actual thing in the real world that a word or a phrase refers to.

  • In the sentence 'The cat is on the mat,' the referent of 'cat' is an actual cat.
entity

Commonly used in legal, administrative, and technical contexts to refer to something that exists as a single and complete unit, often a company or organization.

  • The new regulations apply to any business entity operating within the country.
  • An entity in the database represents a real-world object.
object

Typically used in everyday language to denote physical items that can be seen or touched, or in grammar to refer to the recipient of an action in a sentence.

  • She placed the object on the table.
  • In the sentence 'She loves him,' 'him' is the object of the verb 'loves.'
subject

This word has multiple contexts: commonly used in grammar to indicate the doer of an action; in academic settings, it refers to a field of study; in philosophical or psychological contexts, it may refer to a conscious being.

  • In the sentence 'The dog barks,' 'dog' is the subject.
  • Mathematics is his favorite subject.
  • The subject's responses were recorded during the experiment.

Examples of usage

  • The word 'cat' is the referent for the furry animal with whiskers and a tail.
  • In the sentence 'She loves her car', 'car' is the referent for the vehicle she loves.
Context #2 | Noun

in legal context

A person or thing to which a legal document or contract refers.

Synonyms

entity, individual, subject.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
referent

Used in linguistics and philosophy to denote the actual thing that a word or expression denotes or refers to.

  • The referent of the word 'apple' is the actual fruit.
subject

Often used in academic or formal contexts to refer to a person or thing that is being discussed, described, or dealt with.

  • This subject is difficult to understand.
  • He is the subject of an ongoing investigation.
entity

Commonly used in formal or technical contexts to refer to anything that exists as a distinct and independent unit.

  • The company is a legal entity.
  • Each file in the database is treated as a separate entity.
individual

Typically used to describe a single human being as distinct from a group or a member of a class.

  • Every individual has the right to freedom of speech.
  • The prize will be awarded to an individual, not a team.

Examples of usage

  • The referent in this contract is the buyer of the property.
  • The referent of the power of attorney document is the designated agent.
Context #3 | Noun

in academic writing

A source that is referred to or cited in a scholarly work.

Synonyms

citation, reference, source.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
referent

Use when the word describes the thing or person that a word or phrase denotes or refers to.

  • In the sentence 'The cat sat on the mat', the word 'cat' is the referent of the subject.
source

Use when discussing the origin of information, objects, or resources, generally in a broad or tangible sense.

  • The library is a valuable source of information for all your research needs.
  • You should always verify the source of any online information before trusting it.
citation

Use in academic or formal contexts to refer to a quotation from or reference to a book, paper, or author, especially in scholarly work.

  • Ensure you include proper citations in your research paper to credit the original authors.
  • The essay was well-researched, with numerous citations from primary sources.
reference

Use in a variety of contexts including academic, formal, or general to refer to the mention of a source of information, or to relate to something specific.

  • Please check the reference section at the end of the book for more information.
  • He made a reference to Shakespeare in his speech to highlight his point.

Examples of usage

  • The referent for this information can be found in the bibliography.
  • The author acknowledged the referent of his research in the footnotes.

Translations

To see the translation, please select a language from the options available.

Interesting Facts

Linguistics

  • In linguistics, a referent is the actual object or idea that a word refers to, like the actual tree when we say 'tree'.
  • Understanding a referent is crucial in making sentences clear, as different words can refer to the same concept.
  • Referents can change based on context; for instance, 'he' can refer to different people in different conversations.

Philosophy

  • Philosophers have debated the nature of referents, particularly how they relate to meaning and understanding language.
  • The theory of reference explains how words can describe both tangible objects and abstract concepts.
  • In philosophy, distinguishing between referents helps clarify discussions about language and reality.

Psychology

  • Cognitive psychology studies how people process and understand referents when learning new vocabulary.
  • Research shows that using clear referents in education aids in faster comprehension and memory retention.
  • Misunderstandings often arise when referents are ambiguous or unclear in communication.

Art and Literature

  • In literature, authors often play with referents to create deeper meanings and metaphors.
  • Visual art can also use referents, where colors or shapes symbolize broader concepts or feelings.
  • Poetry often relies on clever use of referents to evoke imagery and emotions in readers.

Origin of 'referent'

Main points about word origin

  • The word 'referent' comes from the Latin word 'referre', meaning 'to bring back' or 'to refer'.
  • It first appeared in English texts in the early 20th century, primarily used in linguistics and philosophy.
  • The concept highlights how language connects words with their meanings in communication.

The word 'referent' originates from the Latin word 'referent-' (stem of referens), present participle of referre meaning 'to refer'. The term was first used in the early 20th century in the field of linguistics to describe the entity to which a linguistic expression refers. Over time, its usage expanded to legal documents and academic writing, where it signifies the entity being referred to or cited.

See also: refer, referee, reference, referencer, referendum, referrer.

Word Frequency Rank

With rank #17,305, this word belongs to specialized vocabulary. While not common in everyday speech, it enriches your ability to express complex ideas.