referendum
noun/ˌɹɛfəˈɹɛndəm/
Etymology From Latin referendum (“that which ought to be announced”), from refero (“to announce”).
1
Government, Politics A direct popular vote on a proposed law or constitutional amendment.
- a referendum on …
- In some cases, a referendum on the proposed bond issue must be held.1975, Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, Informational Bulletin:
3 more examples
- 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.2003, Constitution of Uzbekistan:
- Although the Cook Islands held a referendum in 1994, when voters rejected a name change, the yearning for a decolonised identity has not disappeared.2019, Nalini Mohabir, “Renaming the Cook Islands would be a vital step towards true independence”, in Guardian.:
- [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 2008.2025 October 16, Patrick Wintour, “Catalonia’s Socialist president: tackling inequality can blunt separatist and far-right voices”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
2
An action, choice, etc., which is perceived as passing judgment on another matter.
- 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.
- Derived terms
- antireferendum, neverendum, preferendum, proreferendum, pseudoreferendum
- Related terms
- ad referendum