Referendum

German

Usage notes

From Latin referendum. Much reinforced in recent years by English referendum.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˌʁɛfəˈʁɛndʊm/, /ˌʁeːfə-/
  • (file)

Noun

Referendum n (genitive Referendums, plural Referenden)

  1. referendum (direct popular vote on a proposed law or other political decision)

Usage notes

  • The German word is used chiefly for referenda on national level or, in the case of independence referenda, the level of nations-to-be. For regional or local votes, the word Volksabstimmung (until recently preferred in all contexts) remains more common.

Declension

Synonyms

  • Plebiszit (chiefly learned)
  • Volksbefragung (chiefly non-binding)
  • Volksentscheid (chiefly Swiss)
  • Volksabstimmung (especially regional or local)

Derived terms

  • EU-Referendum
  • Unabhängigkeitsreferendum

Further reading

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