referistes

Referistes is a term used in some discussions to describe individuals who habitually foreground references and referents in their communication. It is not widely established in formal linguistics and there is no consensus on a standard definition. The term is likely a neologism formed from refero to refer and the agentive suffix -istes, following patterns in languages such as French and Spanish. In practice, referistes may be described as speakers who anchor discourse through citations, authorities, documents, or external anchors, using referential markers to structure argumentation and invite corroboration. The concept is sometimes applied in analyses of scholarly writing, debate, and online discourse to analyze how reference to sources governs perceived credibility or accountability.

Because it lacks formal status, usage varies and it is often discussed as a speculative or informal label rather than a formal category. Critics argue that the term can be ambiguous and overlapping with established notions such as citation practices, quotation, or referential style. See also referent, reference (linguistics), citation theory.