referendum — a general vote by the electorate on a single political question that has been referred to them for a direct decision
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a general vote by the electorate on a single political question that has been referred to them for a direct decision
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˌrefəˈrendəm/
Example Sentences
- The Brexit referendum divided the UK like a pizza order - everyone wanted different toppings!
- Citizens will vote in a referendum on the proposed tax reform.
- The referendum on extending school hours failed - students mysteriously had a 100% turnout rate!
referendum
NOUN[/ˌrefəˈrendəm/]
a general vote by the electorate on a single political question that has been referred to them for a direct decision
Citizens vote directly on single issue
Judge yells 'REFER END 'EM to vote!' — referendum time!
From memorandum to addendum, the referendum grows complex!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Latin 'referendus,' the gerundive form of 'referre' meaning 'to refer' or 'to carry back.' The term was adopted in English during the 19th century to describe the practice of referring a political question directly to voters.
Breakdown
re- (back) + ferre (carry/refer) + -ndum (gerundive suffix indicating 'something to be done') = referendum (something to be referred back to the people)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The Brexit referendum divided the UK like a pizza order - everyone wanted different toppings!”
“Citizens will vote in a referendum on the proposed tax reform.”
“The referendum on extending school hours failed - students mysteriously had a 100% turnout rate!”
“The referendum results showed a narrow margin of victory.”
“They demanded a referendum on whether pineapple belongs on pizza - democracy at its finest!”
📚Related Words
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