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reference

Pronunciation: [/ˈɹɛf.(ə)ɹəns/]

Word

reference: meanings and example sentences

Learn how to use reference in a sentence: 9 audio examples across 3 meanings.

Context: “source of information”

(noun) a source of information or a mention of something in a document to show where it came from. It's like when you say where you found a cool fact for your school project.

Example

She included a reference to the book in her research paper.

Example

The article had no references to support its claims.

Example

Can you give me a reference for the statistics you mentioned?

Context: “recommendation”

(noun) a person who can vouch for your skills and qualifications when you apply for a job or college. It's like having someone who can say how good you are at something to others.

Example

I put my former boss down as a reference on my job application.

Example

She didn't get the job because her references didn't speak highly of her.

Example

Do you have any professional references we can contact?

Context: “mention or allude to”

(verb) to mention or talk about something in a document or conversation to support your point. It's like when you talk about a book or website that helped you understand a topic.

Example

The speaker referenced several studies to back up his claims.

Example

She failed to reference any sources in her research project.

Example

Could you reference the data from yesterday's meeting in your report?

How to pronounce reference

Pronunciation: [/ˈɹɛf.(ə)ɹəns/]

Listen and repeat as many times as you need.

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