Definitions

1. noun

a person or thing to which something is referred or related, especially in a particular context or situation.

“The witness was a key referent in the trial, as she was the last person to see the victim alive.”

2. noun

a word or sign that stands for something else, especially in a language or system of symbols.

“In the language of mathematics, the symbol ‘+’ is a referent for the concept of addition.”

3. verb

to refer to or think of something or someone as a particular thing or person.

“She began to referent the new employee as ‘the person who always seems to know what to do’.”

4. verb

to attribute or assign a particular meaning or reference to something or someone.

“The artist’s new sculpture is a referent to the beauty of nature.”