1. Something referred to; the object of a reference
   "The pronoun 'it' had an unclear referent in the complex sentence"
    
2. The thing, person, or idea that a word, symbol, or expression refers to
   "In 'the dog barked,' the referent of 'the dog' is the actual animal"
    
3. The first term in a proposition; the term to which other terms relate
   "In the statement 'The sky is blue,' 'the sky' is the referent"

1. Having reference
   "judgments referent to the indictment"

Derived forms: referents

See also: denotative, denotive

Type of: import, meaning, significance, signification, term

Encyclopedia: Referent