referent

The definition of a referent is the thing to which something else refers.

(noun)

When someone says"that book,"referring to a well-known and reviled popular book, the well-known and reviled book that is referred to is an example of the referent.

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See referent in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

  1. something referred to
  2. Linguis. the object, concept, event, etc. referred to by a term or expression

Origin: < L referens, prp.

See referent in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun
A person or thing to which a linguistic expression refers.

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