referenter

Referenter is not a standard term in contemporary English linguistics. It may appear as a mistaken form of referent or as a coinage in translations from other languages. In German, the corresponding word is Referent (masculine) or Referentin (feminine); English speakers typically use referent to denote the object or person that a linguistic expression stands for. In computing contexts, the closest analogue is referrer or referring source, not referenter.

In linguistics, a referent is the actual entity to which a referring expression points in a given context. The referent can be concrete, such as a person or object, or abstract, such as a concept. The relationship between the expression and its referent is called reference or denotation, while sense concerns the idea or concept associated with the expression. Context, shared knowledge, and discourse structure influence how a referent is identified.

Contexts such as discourse analysis and semiotics study how referents are established through deixis, anaphora, and context. Demonstratives like this or that require a referent present in the conversational situation. Proper names typically have a stable referent within a discourse, though ambiguity can arise if multiple entities share a name or if the discourse shifts.

In computing, the term referrer (the source that led to the current page) is the standard usage, and the HTTP header is traditionally spelled Referer, a historic misspelling that has become common in practice. Some writers may encounter the nonstandard form referenter, but it is not widely accepted as a technical term. For precision, use referent in linguistic discussions and referrer/referer in web contexts.