reference point
- noun
- /ˈrɛfərəns pɔɪnt/
- In the meeting, she mentioned previous projects as a reference point for our current goals.
- provide a reference point
- important reference point
- become a reference point
That's a reference point that's pretty useless.
- That's a reference point that's pretty useless.
- That's because the reference point we have is going from FX to Ryzen.
- And so Morecock brings in two sort of common reference points.
- I have a feeling you're coming at it from a UAE reference point, which is where I live.
- Instead of a crystal ball, what she needs is a little, a few reference points.
- Canticle for Leibowitz shouldn't be our automatic go to reference point.
- Normally you'd have handlers come in, give him some talking points, give him some reference points, things like that.
- But it's all the points that are a chosen fixed distance from a chosen reference point.
- And even though Fitzgerald went into Princeton, for some reason, Yale is the reference point for him.
- If that person doesn't feel you got the best revenge car, you won't be satisfied because revenge means that your metric, your reference point is still that person.
- So you're gonna start use that as a reference point and just get down straight, like straight down.
Examples
-
His work has become an obligatory reference point for any student of local government in colonial Mesoamerica.
Academic text (2003) -
Although this assessment was by no means exhaustive, it provides a reference point for future investigations.
Academic text (1996) -
Okay, I need the room numbers around us as a reference point.
-
The text will serve as a reference point as the music is created.
Academic text (1997) -
People establish goals in relation to certain values and use these goals as reference points.
Academic text (2008) -
Moreover, global competition has resulted in the loss of traditional reference points for understanding life.
Academic text (1995) -
Hence, we set 60 years of age as our reference point for calculation of risk.
Academic text (2017) -
Every leader's internal moral compass needs to be checked against external reference points.
Academic text (2017) -
In this review, we will use two specific international assessments as reference points for evaluating the latest IPCC effort.
Academic text (1997) -
The teacher used last year's test scores as a reference point to gauge the students' progress.
Synonyms
A standard used to compare people or things
A standard used to compare quality or performance
A starting point for comparing later results
A standard used to compare other things
Something used as a model or standard for judging things
A measure people use to judge how good or successful something is
A way to judge how good or true something is
A way to judge how good or successful something is
A known example people use to judge or compare other things
A fixed place used to hold, support, or guide something
How Precise
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'reference' (a standard for comparison) combined with 'point' (a specific position or moment) yields a specific standard or position used for orientation or comparison. This is a literal noun–noun combination common in many languages and registers, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Reference point comes from the image of a fixed point or clear landmark, like a mark on a map or a sign, that people use to 'refer' to or to find direction. So a reference point now means a standard or mark you use to 'compare' or judge other things.