referent

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"But that would be sad to me, to have lost the referent."

From Salon • Aug. 9, 2023

“We can use terms successfully not because we know much about the referent but because we’re linked to the referent by a great social chain of communication.”

From New York Times • Sep. 21, 2022

You can tweak a reference all you like, but the referent will stay just the same.

From Washington Post • Dec. 21, 2021

“It’s not the most typical referent for ‘sandwich,’” he mused.

From The Verge • Apr. 9, 2020

A reader of this intimidating passage can marvel at Butler’s ability to juggle abstract propositions about still more abstract propositions, with no real-world referent in sight.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker