referenced

Referenced is the past participle of the verb reference and is used as an adjective or passive participle to indicate that something has been cited, mentioned, or used as a source. In scholarly writing, a work is described as referenced when its information is acknowledged through citations and an entry in a references list or bibliography. The act of referencing connects a claim to evidence and helps readers locate original materials. References may appear as in-text citations and a corresponding reference list.

In other contexts, referenced can signal linkage or association. In computing, a reference is a value that enables indirect access to a data object. An object that is currently pointed to by at least one reference is said to be referenced; if no references exist, the object may be eligible for garbage collection or deallocation in languages without automatic memory management.

In databases, a table can reference another via a foreign key, making the target row a referenced entity for the referencing row. In documentation and metadata, elements may be referenced by identifiers, URLs, or cross-links, enabling navigation and data integration.

Differences between referenced and cited vary by discipline; referenced often emphasizes the existence and identification of a source within a body of work, whereas cited emphasizes quoting or mentioning a specific passage.

Use: The term is neutral and descriptive, appearing across scholarly, technical, legal, and information-management contexts.