referential

[ ref-uh-ren-shuhl ]

adjective

1. having reference:

   referential to something.

2. containing a reference.
3. used for reference.

Other Words From

• refer·ential·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of referential¹

First recorded in 1650–60; referent + -ial

Example Sentences

Since you don’t know how people link to your pages, a self-referential one helps to clean up small mistakes.

From Search Engine Land

Almost more than anybody I’ve ever witnessed, he’s clearly a man devoid of any sort of sense of humor or self-referential anything.

From The Daily Beast

This psychological experience corresponds to increased levels of activity in brain networks that support self-referential and emotional processing in the brain.

From Nautilus

So this self-referential processing network, which tends to be more active among people who are clinically anxious and depressed, is also active when you look at people experiencing chatter.

From Nautilus

Of course publishing a book of selfies is the height of Kim Kardashian self-referential ridiculousness.

From The Daily Beast

Perhaps the word “hipster” has now lost all referential meaning.

From The Daily Beast

They are self-referential, sculpted by parody or subversive of conventions, and ambitiously re-inventive.

From The Daily Beast

With names like Nestor, Clarissa, and Ludwig, the characters are equally referential.

From The Daily Beast

A lot of it is self-referential, i.e., to other incidents to the Marvel universe.

From The Daily Beast

This is truly a "handy referential volume," and deserving of a large sale.

From Project Gutenberg

They are all too broadly referential, too vague, to be of real use to a manager or actor looking for a play to produce.

From Project Gutenberg

The man of the 'oath referential, or sentimental swearing,' makes the entire scope of the part an 'echo to the sense.'

From Project Gutenberg

What is of peculiar interest is the symptom in his malady called "referential ideas."

From Project Gutenberg

The written, as we know, almost constantly appeared together with other referential systems, especially images.

From Project Gutenberg