référentielle

Référentielle is a feminine adjective derived from référent, used in French to describe something that concerns reference or a referent. The term appears in technical and scholarly discourses where the relationship between language, symbols, or data and the entities they denote is central. Its meaning is thus tied to the notion of reference rather than to content or mood alone.

In linguistics, référentielle designates phenomena linked to referents in discourse. This includes referential expressions such as pronouns, demonstratives, definite descriptions, and proper names that point to specific entities described or assumed in a given context. The notion often appears in discussions of referential or deictic functions, where language serves to identify and locate entities within a discourse model or the real world.

In information technology and database theory, the term is common in the expression intégrité référentielle (referential integrity). This constraint guarantees that a foreign key corresponds to an existing primary key in another table, thereby maintaining consistency of references across relational structures.

In semiotics and philosophy of language, référentielle can describe aspects of linguistic meaning that map directly to objects or concepts in the world or within a discourse framework. It is used to contrast reference-driven aspects with other semantic or pragmatic dimensions, such as attitude, context, or connotation.

Usage notes: the term is technical and most often appears in specialized fields rather than in everyday language. It is frequently encountered in compound forms such as intégrité référentielle or fonction référentielle, where reference is the core focus.