How to Use referential in a Sentence

referential

adjective
Definition of referentialnext
  • The ghazal is an M.C.’s form: repeating words, a rhyme scheme, the self-referential last line that signals the end of the bars.
    — New York Times, 1 July 2021
  • Only Kevin could make such a self-referential film and get away with it.
    — Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Sep. 2022
  • But what about formal objects that were referential — to their own making and maybe even to the body?
    — Kate Guadagnino, New York Times, 25 Sep. 2023
  • As has been the case throughout her Paris stay, the First Lady paid tribute to the host country in her own referential way.
    — Rosemary Feitelberg | Wwd, latimes.com, 14 July 2017
  • Yeah, [my comedy] is referential and goofy and kind of sniping in lines here and there.
    — Nick Vadala, Philly.com, 5 July 2017
  • Its mysteries are self-aware and referential, and rarely hard to solve.
    — Caroline Framke, Variety, 26 Jan. 2022
  • Not unlike the youthful, sporty styles synonymous with the referential decade of the moment, Jenner brought the look home with a nude lip and glossy dark nails.
    — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, 2 Jan. 2019
  • But while writers can play with self-referential in-jokes, the classic moments can't be topped.
    — Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 22 May 2018
  • But leave it to Zendaya to step out in a look at once referential, genre-minded, and entirely her own.
    — Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2021
  • But cheeky, self-referential ads are kind of Ryder and Jacobs's thing.
    — Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 5 Aug. 2022
  • This may be McNally's valentine to Broadway (or, with all the self-referential lines, to his own shows).
    — NOLA.com, 12 June 2017
  • If anything, the studio has upped the self-referential gags and off-the-wall marketing gimmicks.
    — Ryan Faughnder, latimes.com, 17 May 2018
  • The title is an Iggy Pop rip, one of many blatantly referential turns of phrase on the album.
    — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 26 July 2017
  • Lookwell didn't get a pick up, but the absurdist-referential clique loved West and kept him employed.
    — Darren Franich, EW.com, 5 Jan. 2022
  • Over the last decade, hardly a week goes by without another addition to the self-referential canon, and the trend shows no sign of abating.
    — Randy Lewis, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2019
  • Producing eight of the mixtape’s 12 songs (two tracks are skits), D-Pat laid the foundation of the album’s referential but modern sound.
    — Damien Scott, Billboard, 9 Nov. 2023
  • The characters feel more lived-in, and the dialogue, music and settings can be self-referential.
    — Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2018
  • But its voice, as set by the creator, Jesse Armstrong, is arch and referential; its details demand a range of knowledge or at least the willingness to Google.
    — James Poniewozik, New York Times, 26 May 2023
  • The few fun ideas get buried under referential shenanigans.
    — Darren Franich, EW.com, 5 Jan. 2023
  • Yes, this column has turned into something of a self-referential rant.
    — Laurence Kotlikoff, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2023
  • The choir heard in the background is mysterious rather than referential.
    — Armond White, National Review, 5 May 2021
  • Rather than barely there makeup or easy beach waves, Kendall Jenner is marking the start of summer with a wash of referential, retro beauty.
    — Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 21 June 2017
  • Nerdy icon Felicia Day, in a guest role, fits in easily on the self-referential series.
    — Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2018
  • In a true testament to the referential nature of fashion, nostalgia is in the air and wooden shoe details are back.
    — Jamila Stewart, Essence, 27 Apr. 2021
  • The blue of the new work thus seems referential, and poignant, even if reference was coincidental.
    — Ephrat Livni, Quartz, 21 July 2019
  • And keeping the media focused on a self-referential feud between Trump and the media is a way to maintain his preferred approach of trying to suck up all the oxygen in the room.
    — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, 14 Nov. 2018
  • For go-go beauty looks, models wore a blend of 90s polish mixed with punky rawness, a nod to the brand’s heritage, without being too referential.
    — Kathleen Hou, ELLE, 9 Sep. 2023
  • This year would have been an apt time to show up since Taylor does have her campy, self-referential, pseudo-serious moments.
    — Claire Dodson, Teen Vogue, 7 May 2019
  • As funny as Scream is (and all of its sequels and spinoffs), what holds it together is the fact that despite the presence of all the humor and self-referential metatext, these movies are still damn scary.
    — Keith Nelson, Men's Health, 30 May 2022
  • And, as has often been the case, there’s a distinctly referential quality to Brittany’s work here.
    — Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, 8 Sep. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'referential.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: