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.

And if we cannot find a referent for the normal and the good, how can we possibly come back from our national neurosis?

From Slate • Aug. 18, 2024

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

From Salon • Aug. 9, 2023

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 restrictive relative clause is essential to the meaning of the sentence, often because it pinpoints the referent of the noun from among a set of alternatives.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker