referendum
noun
or referendums
Did you know?
Referendum is a Latin word, but its modern meaning only dates from the 19th century, when a new constitution adopted by Switzerland stated that the voters could vote directly on certain issues. Thus, a referendum is a measure that's referred (that is, sent on) to the people. Since the U.S. Constitution doesn't provide for referenda (notice the common plural form) at the national level, referenda tend to be on local and state issues. In most locales, a few questions usually appear on the ballot at election time, often involving such issues as new zoning ordinances, new taxes for schools, and new limits on spending.
Examples of referendum in a Sentence
David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 27 Dec. 2025
Joel Hand, a lobbyist for the Indiana Coalition for Public Education, said that generally small rural school districts have the hardest time passing referendums, when taxpayers are strained the most, and suburban school districts have the greatest success.
—Caroline Beck, IndyStar, 26 Dec. 2025
Ukraine’s constitution requires any changes to the country’s borders to be approved in a referendum.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025
In 1988, when Pinochet called a national referendum to extend his rule, Kast, who was then a twenty-two-year-old law student, was a vocal supporter.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for referendum
Cite this Entry
“Referendum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/referendum. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
referendum
noun
or referendums
Legal Definition
referendum
noun
or referendums
New Latin, from Latin, neuter of referendus, gerundive of referre to refer
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