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referendum

[ref-uh-ren-duhm] / ˌrɛf əˈrɛn dəm /
NOUN
popular vote on matter
Synonyms


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.

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Rallies have been taking place across Serbia on Thursday, the final day of campaigning ahead of a snap election billed as a referendum on the country's future.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

At least eight this year relate directly to the initiative and referendum process, an interesting split between raising requirements and protecting existing citizen rights.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

She made it easier for them to hold a vote, lowering the number of signatures needed on petitions to trigger a referendum and giving them more time to collect them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

Smith said before the vote that if voters chose the first option, a referendum on separation would not be held - at least, not while she was in power.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

In 1897, two years after the Massachusetts referendum, the antis formed the New York State Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

State referenda can be difficult to poll, but surveys say Maine on Tuesday might have a couple of squeakers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2025

Berlin, Hamburg and the Ruhr region are also developing bids, with referenda to be held in 2026.

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2025

Among the hundreds of referenda passed across the country in the midterm elections, voters in four states approved provisions making slavery and involuntary servitude unconstitutional.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 30, 2022

Rules are different for referenda, which seek to overturn laws, than for ballot initiatives that seek to enact them.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 7, 2022

The council is also empowered to schedule dates for holding referenda on decisions of the National Assembly.

From Area Handbook for Bulgaria by Violeta D. Baluyut

Those state-by-state questions—some referendums, directed to voters by state legislatures, others initiatives, put forward by citizens themselves—offer a fascinating look at trends, as well as attitudes toward specific issues.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

For example, 929,000 votes were cast in the 2022 mayoral general election — meaning referendums need about 93,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Speaking of referendums, how about one to eliminate the State of the Union?

From Slate ● Feb. 24, 2026

Maria Steen is a barrister and campaigner on social issues, who opposed the legalisation of same-sex marriage and abortion during referendums in the last decade.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2025

On the ballot in November 1867, the men in Kansas faced two referendums, one that deleted the word “white” from the description of voters and a second that deleted the word “male.”

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling


Vocabulary lists containing referendum

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