referendum
/ˌrefəˈrendəm/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌrefəˈrendəm/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌre-fə-ˈren-dəm/ (ame, mw)
referendum — noun
- referendumsingular
- referendumsplural
1. an event in which every adult citizen in a region or nation has the chance to vo
an event in which every adult citizen in a region or nation has the chance to vote yes or no on a specific political question, such as whether to change the constitution or adopt a new law
The government decided to hold a national referendum on the proposed constitutional changes.
collocation: hold a referendum on [topic]
Voters in Switzerland often take part in referendums on local and national issues.
collocation: take part in a referendum
A referendum on the new climate law was held last month across all regions.
Dahlia voted yes in the referendum because she wanted better public transport funding.
The referendum result showed that most citizens supported higher spending on schools.
- plebiscite
more formal term, often used for a yes-or-no vote that approves or rejects a government's decision or policy
- public vote
less formal, broader in meaning; can refer to any vote taken by the general public, not only on constitutional matters
- ballot measure
chiefly American English; refers to the specific proposal placed on a ballot for voters to approve or reject
文法句型
hold/call a referendum on [topic]
vote in a referendum
用法筆記
Countable noun. The most common plural in modern English is referendums; the Latin plural referenda is also used but is far less frequent. A referendum asks citizens to vote yes or no on a single specific question — unlike an election, which chooses a person for office.