1. the act of mentioning or alluding to something
2. a source of information consulted to find facts or details
3. a statement about someone’s character or qualifications

1. to mention or cite as a source

Examples

• The teacher made a reference to yesterday’s lesson.
• Please check your reference materials before the test.
• I used the encyclopedia as a reference for my report.
• She asked her former boss to serve as a reference.
• The job application requires three professional references.
• You need to reference all sources in your bibliography.
• The article references several scientific studies.
• He gave me a good reference for the position.