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referendum

referendum

197 5.6
A public vote where people decide on one political question
  • noun
  • /ˌrɛfəˈrɛndəm/
  • Formal
: referéndum
  • The local government decided to hold a referendum to let citizens vote on the new zoning laws.
  • hold a referendum
  • call for a referendum
  • approved by referendum

So I did that and leave won the referendum a month later.

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Examples

  • How will you be voting in the referendum?

  • Venda was forced to hold a referendum after weeks of demonstrations and a civil service strike.

    Academic text (1990)
  • What do you think about that referendum coming up?

  • We all have to reflect on our role in the referendum campaign.

  • Because one thing is clear, when the British people voted in the referendum, they did not just choose to leave the European Union.

  • I will not overturn the result of the referendum, nor will I break up my country.

  • Speaker, on Thursday last week there was a very important local referendum in Christchurch.

  • On 2 June, the Danes are to decide by referendum on the adoption of the treaty.

    Academic text (1991)
  • On December 1st, 1991, at the Republican Referendum, the population of Ukraine, by a majority vote, expressed support for secession from the USSR.

  • In July, the KRG announced its intention to conduct a referendum on full Kurdish sovereignty and a declaration of independence.

    Academic text (2015)

Synonyms

plebiscite
vsreferendum
  • Specialized
5 8.8

A direct vote by all voters about an important public question like independence or a new constitution

is used for any single political question sent to voters, not only constitutional matters

How Formal

referendum
  • Formal
197 5.6
ballot
251 2.2
voting
588 1.4
to vote
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

referendum singular
referendums plural
referenda plural

Etymology

Referendum comes from Latin and is built from refer ('send back') plus the ending -endum ('to be done'). So a referendum is a question 'sent back' to the people for them to decide.