cross-reference

1 of 2

noun

cross-ref·​er·​ence ˈkrȯs-ˈre-fərn(t)s How to pronounce cross-reference (audio)
-ˈre-f(ə-)rən(t)s
: a notation or direction at one place (as in a book or filing system) to pertinent information at another place

cross-reference

2 of 2

verb

cross-referenced; cross-referencing; cross-references

transitive verb

1
: to supply with cross-references
cross-reference a book
2
: to research, verify, or organize by means of cross-references
cross-reference information

Examples of cross-reference in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Modern platforms can cross-reference multiple authoritative data sources in real time, automatically flag discrepancies for review and update information across multiple systems simultaneously. Tammy Hawes, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024 Additionally, implementing machine learning algorithms that cross-reference multiple sources can help detect and prevent the propagation of inaccurate data. Daniel Fallmann, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024 Compile a list of services and then cross-reference their reviews across multiple sources. Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 1 Mar. 2024 The People’s Daily published a full-page article demonstrating the correctness of the Three Represents with cross-references to texts by Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, and Deng. Cai Xia, Foreign Affairs, 4 Dec. 2020 Journalists can cross-reference that with other datasets and add in context with base maps. Lauren Leffer, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2023 Caswell doesn’t at first seem very interested in them except as opportunities to create fascinating verbal spirals, cross-references and death drops, like a game of biographical Chutes and Ladders. Jesse Green, New York Times, 15 Nov. 2023 Script-writing teams may appreciate an artificial agent that can look up dialog or cross-reference on the fly. Janet Vertesi, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2023
Verb
Even when anonymized, agencies can cross-reference data sets to reveal information about specific individuals. Olivia Gazis, CBS News, 16 June 2023 The agenda book was more useful, offering a way to cross-reference many of the meetings Villarejo claimed to have had. Nicholas Casey, New York Times, 10 June 2023 The idea is that future AI systems will be able to cross-reference this data in the same way that current AI systems do for text inputs. James Vincent, The Verge, 9 May 2023 At its lab in The Hague, the commission’s technicians can extract DNA from tiny samples of bone and cross-reference them with samples provided by families of the missing. Mike Corder, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Apr. 2023 The pages of a spam cluster all cross-reference one another, creating the illusion that a lot of people are linking to a site. Ariel Bleicher, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Feb. 2011 The DAs could then cross-reference the list with their criminal cases and identify any wrongful convictions. oregonlive, 4 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1834, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cross-reference was in 1834

Dictionary Entries Near cross-reference

Cite this Entry

“Cross-reference.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cross-reference. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

cross-reference

noun
cross-ref·​er·​ence
ˈkrȯs-ˈref-ərn(t)s,
-ˈref-(ə-)rən(t)s
: a reference made from one place to another (as in a dictionary)

More from Merriam-Webster on cross-reference

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