The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms - reference n.

1) allusion, mention, remark, referral, direction, indication, specification, naming, quotation, citation, note, notation, notification, hint, intimation, innuendo, insinuation: I can't find a reference in any footnote. Few readers make use of the bibliographical references in scholarly articles. Her persistent references to my baldness embarrass me. 2) regard, concern, connection, respect, relation, relevance, pertinence: People are selected without reference to race, creed, colour, sex, or age. 3) endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, certification; credentials: I relied on my former employer to give me a good reference. We shall not be needing to take up your references.