Dictionary

referendum en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌɹɛfəˈɹɛndəm/

Etymology

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

Meanings

1. A direct popular vote on a proposed law or constitutional amendment.
   • In some cases, a referendum on the proposed bond issue must be held. 1975, Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, Informational Bulletin:
   • a referendum on …
   • 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.:
   • 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:
   • [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.

Forms

Deriveds

proreferendum · antireferendum · preferendum · pseudoreferendum · neverendum

Relateds

ad referendum

Synonyms

plebiscite

Translations (109)

lv referendums (direct popular vote) · pt referendo (direct popular vote) · ja 国民投票 (direct popular vote) · fi kansanäänestys (direct popular vote) · pl referendum (direct popular vote) · tr halk oylaması (direct popular vote) · acw اِسْتِفْتاء (direct popular vote) · fr référendum (direct popular vote) · ps رېفرانډم (direct popular vote) · gd reifreann (direct popular vote) · ka რეფერენდუმი (direct popular vote) · nl referendum (direct popular vote) · sl referendum (direct popular vote) · cmn 公民投票 (direct popular vote) · tl reperendum (direct popular vote) · ms pungutan suara (direct popular vote) · bg рефере́ндум (direct popular vote) · az referendum (direct popular vote) · fi luottamuslauseäänestys (action perceived as passing judgment) · da folkeafstemning (direct popular vote) · et rahvahääletus (direct popular vote) · uz referendum (direct popular vote) · ar اِسْتِفْتاء (direct popular vote) · eo referendumo (direct popular vote) · az ümumi rəy sorğusu (direct popular vote) · is þjóðaratkvæði (direct popular vote) · tk referendum (direct popular vote) · sq referendum (direct popular vote) · sk referendum (direct popular vote) · mi tāpaetanga pōti (direct popular vote) · ps ټولپوښتنه (direct popular vote) · de Referendum (direct popular vote) · es referendo (direct popular vote) · mn референдум (direct popular vote) · kw gwerinvotyans (direct popular vote) · ga reifreann (direct popular vote) · ko 국민투표 (direct popular vote) · el δημοψήφισμα (direct popular vote) · kk референдум (direct popular vote) · mi pōtitake (direct popular vote) · ky референдум (direct popular vote) · sh referèndum (direct popular vote) · crh referendum (direct popular vote) · sv folkomröstning (direct popular vote) · de Volksabstimmung (direct popular vote) · fa-ira رِفْرانْدوم (direct popular vote) · et rahvaküsitlus (direct popular vote) · lo ປະຊາມະຕິ (direct popular vote) · my ဆန္ဒခံယူပွဲ (direct popular vote) · ur رائے شُماری (direct popular vote) · ur رِیفْرینْڈَم (direct popular vote) · cmn 間接表態 /间接表态 (action perceived as passing judgment) · fa-ira هَمِهپُرْسی (direct popular vote) · ms referendum (direct popular vote) · hu referendum (direct popular vote) · hi रायशुमारी (direct popular vote) · cy refferendwm (direct popular vote) · ca referèndum (direct popular vote) · tr referandum (direct popular vote) · hy հանրաքվե (direct popular vote) · uk рефере́ндум (direct popular vote) · tg референдум (direct popular vote) · hi जनमत-संग्रह (direct popular vote) · id referendum (direct popular vote) · hi मत-संग्रह (direct popular vote) · fo fólkaatkvøða (direct popular vote) · ru рефере́ндум (action perceived as passing judgment) · nl volksraadpleging (direct popular vote) · th ประชามติ (direct popular vote) · is þjóðaratkvæðagreiðsla (direct popular vote) · ro referendum (direct popular vote) · es referéndum (direct popular vote) · et referendum (direct popular vote) · nn folkerøysting (direct popular vote) · ru рефере́ндум (direct popular vote) · ps رفرنډم (direct popular vote) · vi trưng cầu dân ý (direct popular vote) · cs referendum (direct popular vote) · se álbmotjienasteapmi (direct popular vote) · sh реферѐндум (direct popular vote) · be рэферэ́ндум (direct popular vote) · az ümumxalq sorğu (direct popular vote) · mn бүх нийтийн санал хураалт (direct popular vote) · ja 住民投票 (direct popular vote) · nb folkeavstemning (direct popular vote) · ug رېفېراندۇم (direct popular vote) · nb referendum (direct popular vote) · nb uravstemning (direct popular vote) · pt plebiscito (direct popular vote) · lt referendumas (direct popular vote) · hi रेफ़रेंडम (direct popular vote) · tg раъйпурсӣ (direct popular vote) · hu szavazás (direct popular vote) · yi רעפֿערענדום (direct popular vote) · hy ռեֆերենդում (direct popular vote) · it referendum (direct popular vote) · mk рефере́ндум (direct popular vote) · cmn 信任投票 (action perceived as passing judgment) · cmn 公投 (direct popular vote) · kmr referandûm (direct popular vote) · es plebiscito (direct popular vote) · vi trưng cầu ý dân (direct popular vote) · hu népszavazás (direct popular vote) · gl referendo (direct popular vote) · km ប្រជាមតិ (direct popular vote) · nn referendum (direct popular vote) · he מִשְׁאַל עַם (direct popular vote) · tl pagtutukoy (direct popular vote) · my ဆန္ဒခံယူခြင်း (direct popular vote)