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1.

the action of mentioning or alluding to something.

"he made reference to the enormous power of the mass media"

synonyms:mention of, allusion to, comment on, remark about; More

• a mention or citation of a source of information in a book or article.

  "each chapter should have references to books covering the subject in greater depth"

• a source of information cited in a book or article.

  synonyms:source, information source, citation, authority, credit; More

2.

the use of a source of information in order to ascertain something.

"popular works of reference"

• the sending of a matter to an authority for decision or consideration.

  "the publishers reprinted and sold the work without reference to the author"

  synonyms:referral, transfer, passing on, handover, direction, remission

  "this was an appropriate case for a reference to the European Court of Justice"

3.

a letter from a previous employer testifying to someone's ability or reliability, used when applying for a new job.

"I was dismissed from the library, but with a good reference"

synonyms:testimonial, character reference, recommendation, good word, backing; More