frame of reference

American  

noun

plural

frames of reference

1. a structure of concepts, values, customs, views, etc., by means of which an individual or group perceives or evaluates data, communicates ideas, and regulates behavior.

2. Also called reference frame.  Physics. a framework that is used for the observation and mathematical description of physical phenomena and the formulation of physical laws, usually consisting of an observer, a coordinate system, and a clock or clocks assigning times at positions with respect to the coordinate system.

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frame of reference British  

noun

1. a set of basic assumptions or standards that determines and sanctions behaviour

2. any set of planes or curves, such as the three coordinate axes, used to locate or measure movement of a point in space

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frame of reference Scientific  

/ frām /

1. See reference frame

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Etymology

Origin of frame of reference

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Today’s lawmakers looking for a frame of reference may want to read up on the efforts to regulate a questionable trading platform of an earlier era, the “bucket shop.”

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

Its frame of reference runs deeper, and it looks for inspiration in such modernist masterpieces as I.M.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 29, 2025

But in doing the research, I kept seeing cases like Wells’ critique, and that changed my entire frame of reference.

From Salon • Oct. 6, 2024

Hearing those comments "put me right back" in the recording studio, said Law, explaining that Britten's use of tonal ambiguity "didn't fit the normal frame of reference for a school choir".

From BBC • Sep. 20, 2024

I say “this country” because their frame of reference was totally American.

From "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin