referenda

noun

variants or referendums
plural of referendum
as in votes
an event in which the electorate votes for or against a law that deals with a specific issue They are having a referendum so the public can decide the controversial issue.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of referenda Elder incumbents prevailed in the other primaries that were generational referendums. — Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026 Information on candidates and referendums is available to help people make their choice. — Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 Midterm elections almost always are referendums on the president and the party in power. — Karen Tumulty, Washington Post, 20 Aug. 2026 Here’s what Miami voters decided on the city’s two ballot referendums during the August primary election. — Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026 That's the essential question 37 school districts will ask Indiana voters this November general election, which will feature a record number of school funding referendums after budgets took a blow from property tax reform. — Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 14 Aug. 2026 Only four communities – Delafield, Rochester, Wrightstown and the Galesville-Ettrick-Trempealeau School District – have local fire/EMS, school funding or data center referendums. — Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 11 Aug. 2026 What was supposed to be a session to talk about the Moda Center and renovations morphed into talks of litigation, taxes and referendums on Portland’s business climate. — Jason Quick, New York Times, 31 July 2026 The islands residents have held two sovereignty referendums since the war, one in 1986 and one 2013. — Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for referenda
  1. votes
  2. ballots
Noun
  • Everyone in the house gets involved in the election, phone banking and going after the 80 or so votes still up for grabs.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The two votes involved in replacing Perkins would likely cost the same, Zorich said, bringing the total cost of the recall to about $500,000.
    — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of votes
Noun
  • That order expires next week as more states begin sending out mail ballots.
    — Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The Postal Service can refuse to deliver ballots that don't meet the new rules or bear the name of a voter who is not on a list.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of ballots

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Cite this Entry

“Referenda.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/referenda. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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