frame of reference

noun phrase

1
: an arbitrary set of axes with reference to which the position or motion of something is described or physical laws are formulated
2
: a set of ideas, conditions, or assumptions that determine how something will be approached, perceived, or understood
a Marxian frame of reference

Examples of frame of reference in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The questions and concerns weighing on our children and grandchildren, after all, should be a frame of reference for us all. Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2024 Is an alternative to the canon possible if the frame of reference remains the same? Manuel Borja-Villel, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2024 And there’s some sort of equivalence between some motion of being accelerated, being in an accelerated frame of reference and having a feeling of gravity or having a gravitational pull. Janna Levin, Quanta Magazine, 29 Aug. 2024 Just as mass transportation made national disparities matter to people whose frame of reference had previously been limited to their own local communities, so the Internet is heightening the relevance of international disparities. Timur Kuran, Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2017 See all Example Sentences for frame of reference 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'frame of reference.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of frame of reference was in 1895

Dictionary Entries Near frame of reference

Cite this Entry

“Frame of reference.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frame%20of%20reference. Accessed 19 Sep. 2024.

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