Referendum
See also: referendum, référendum, referéndum, and referèndum
German
Usage notes
From Latin referendum. Much reinforced in recent years by English referendum.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˌʁɛfəˈʁɛndʊm/, /ˌʁeːfə-/
Audio (file)
Noun
Referendum n (genitive Referendums, plural Referenden)
- 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
Declension of Referendum
| singular | plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | noun | def. | noun | |
| nominative | ein | das | Referendum | die | Referenden |
| genitive | eines | des | Referendums | der | Referenden |
| dative | einem | dem | Referendum | den | Referenden |
| accusative | ein | das | Referendum | die | Referenden |
Synonyms
- Plebiszit (chiefly learned)
- Volksbefragung (chiefly non-binding)
- Volksentscheid (chiefly Swiss)
- Volksabstimmung (especially regional or local)
Derived terms
- EU-Referendum
- Unabhängigkeitsreferendum
Further reading
- Referendum in Duden online