referent
UK: ˈrɛfərənt | US: ˈrɛfərənt
n. 1. The specific entity (object, concept, or event) that a word or phrase denotes or refers to.
n. 2. (Linguistics) The actual thing or class of things a linguistic expression designates.
referent = refer<to relate> + ent<noun suffix (agent/result)>
- refer (from Latin referre, "to carry back, relate," combining re- "back" + ferre "to bear")
- ent (Latin-derived suffix forming agent nouns or result states, e.g., "agent" or "patient")
Etymology Origin:
The word referent emerged in the late 19th century, rooted in Latin referre ("to relate"). The morpheme refer preserves the core idea of "connecting language to reality," while -ent nominalizes the concept, creating a term for "the thing being referred to." This reflects linguistic philosophy’s focus on how words anchor meaning to the world.
In the sentence "The cat is sleeping," the referent of "cat" is the actual animal.
Philosophers debate whether a word’s meaning depends on its referent.
The pronoun "it" lacks clarity unless its referent is established earlier.
A dictionary defines terms but does not provide their referents in the real world.
In semiotics, the referent is one pillar of the sign-object-interpretant triad.