Referentially

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a manner that relates to the function of indicating connections between elements, often within a context that involves reference points and meanings that stem from those links
2. Characterized by the way in which something denotes or points to other entities or concepts, typically within frameworks of communication and interpretation
3. In a way that implies a relationship to other ideas or objects, often concerning how meanings are established through reference in various contexts

Etymology: "Referentially" is a plain formation: the adjective "referential" with the adverbial ending "-ly" added. The adjective is itself built from "reference" plus the suffix "-al" (in its earlier form "-ial", taken through Old French from Latin "-ālis"), meaning "relating to." So the word's core idea is "in a manner relating to reference," which fits its sense of pointing to something outside itself. The "-ly" ending has an older history than the Latin part. It goes back through Old English "-līce," a word that originally meant "in the manner of" and was linked to "like" as in "similar in form." Over time this shrank into the single suffix "-ly" that English uses today, which is why "referentially" and many other adverbs end with it.

Synonyms: denotatively