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Referent vs Overextension - What's the difference?

referent | overextension |

As nouns the difference between referent and overextension

is that referent is the specific entity in the world that a word or phrase identifies or denotes while overextension is the state or quality of being overextended.

referent

English

(wikipedia referent)

Noun

(en noun)
  • (semantics) The specific entity in the world that a word or phrase identifies or denotes.
  • That which is referenced.

    • Derived terms

    * absent referent

    Related terms

    * refer * reference

    Anagrams

    * * ----

    overextension

    English

    Noun

  • The state or quality of being overextended.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2009, date=February 13, author=, title=The Worst-Case Scenario, work=New York Times citation
    • , passage=Other nations sensed American overextension . }}
  • (linguistics) Application of a term to too many referents, as for example when a child uses cat to refer to all animals.