referendum
/ˌɹɛfəˈɹɛndəm/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.98 in modern English
16
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
4
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A direct popular vote on a proposed law or constitutional amendment.
noun
An action, choice, etc., which is perceived as passing judgment on another matter.
Example Sentences
- "a referendum on …"
- "In some cases, a referendum on the proposed bond issue must be held."
- "Article 74: The Republic of Karakalpakstan shall have the right to secede from the Republic of Uzbekistan on the basis of a nation-wide referendum held by the people of Karakalpakstan."
- "Although the Cook Islands held a referendum in 1994, when voters rejected a name change, the yearning for a decolonised identity has not disappeared."
- "[Salvador] Illa ascribed the nationalist surge in Catalonia that fuelled support for the 2017 referendum – and Brexit in the UK – as populist responses to the financial crisis of 2008."
- "My father is taking my decision on whether to go to university as a referendum on his performance as a parent, and it's very stressful."
Etymology
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
- Root: referendus