nonreferentially
|non-re-fer-en-ti-al-ly|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑn.rɪˈfɛrənʃəli/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒn.rɪˈfɛrənʃəli/
(nonreferential)
not referring to a specific entity
Etymology
'nonreferentially' originates from Modern English, formed by the negative prefix 'non-' (meaning 'not') attached to the adjective 'referential' (from Late Latin 'referentialis', from Latin 'referre' meaning 'to bring back, to refer'), plus the adverbial suffix '-ly'.
'referential' comes from Late Latin 'referentialis' (from Latin 'referre'); Middle English and Early Modern English used related forms such as 'refer' and 'referential', to which the suffix '-ly' produced 'referentially'; the prefix 'non-' was later attached to form 'nonreferentially' as a negated adverb in modern usage.
Initially the root 'refer' concerned the action 'to carry back' or 'to relate'; over time the derived adjective 'referential' came to mean 'relating to reference', and 'nonreferentially' evolved to mean 'in a way that does not supply or point to a specific reference'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adverb 1
in a manner that does not refer to a specific, identifiable entity; used of words or expressions (especially pronouns or noun phrases) when they are used generically, existentially, or otherwise without pointing to a particular referent.
In the sentence "You can't always get what you want," 'you' is used nonreferentially to mean people in general.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/01 23:54