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 something even more momentous was about to shift the playwright’s frame of reference.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2025

"I had no frame of reference of what I was getting myself into," Lawrence, 28, told BBC Sport.

From BBC • Oct. 23, 2024

I was thinking, In order for this to happen, your entire frame of reference will have to change, and you will be forced to surrender many things that you now scarcely know you have.

From "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin