referendum

Etymology

From Latin referendum (“that which ought to be announced”), from refero (“I announce”).

noun

  1. (politics) A direct popular vote on a proposed law or constitutional amendment. The adposition on is usually used before the related subject of the vote.
    In some cases, a referendum on the proposed bond issue must be held. 1975, Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, Informational Bulletin
    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.
  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.

Attribution / Disclaimer All definitions come directly from Wiktionary using the Wiktextract library. We do not edit or curate the definitions for any words, if you feel the definition listed is incorrect or offensive please suggest modifications directly to the source (wiktionary/referendum), any changes made to the source will update on this page periodically.