reference point

noun

: something that is used to judge or understand something else

The professor used the study as a reference point for evaluating and discussing other theories.

Examples of reference point in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Using Intuitive Surgical’s revenues as a reference point and ignoring the one-time sales revenue for a unit, each robotic surgery unit generates roughly $530,000 in instruments and accessories revenues and an additional $130,000 in servicing revenues each year. —Trefis Team, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024

Traditionally, engineers use a specific historical flood as a design reference point, says Steve Muench, a civil and environmental engineering professor at the University of Washington who studies transportation infrastructure. —Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 5 Oct. 2024

But the system has some uniformity that gives you a reference point. —Quanta Magazine, 25 Sep. 2024

Occasionally, such a name may have a sweetly private reference point — for instance, Shearer is called Sophie in Ewell’s novel, a name which relates to a circumstance from her first days on this planet. —Chris Heath, Vulture, 31 July 2024