Can the word "referable" be used to denote something that can be referenced and what is the difference between "referable" and "referenceable"?
-
Apparently, this word is another way of explaining that websites can be "SEO Friendly" (SEO = Search Engine Optimization). Can you confirm it can be used that way? Thanks. jef– user58574Nov 30, 2013 at 18:20
Add a comment
|
8 Answers
Yes, referable can be used to denote something that can be referenced. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary defines referable as follows:
Capable of being referred, or considered in relation to something else; assignable; ascribable.
On the other hand, referenceable is not present in any of the English dictionaries I checked. I don't suggest using it.
answered Dec 13, 2011 at 11:40
-
1It's just terrible that people don't use referrible much any longer, something that might have been inferrible by the general preference of Germanic -able suffixes over Latin -ible suffices when both are applicable.– tchrist ♦Aug 19, 2013 at 18:04
-
The word 'referenceable' is commonly used in business. I am using it in an email right now but seeing as I am a little old school, I checked to see if it appears in any dictionaries yet. Alas, it does not.
In the IT industry, we use the word referenceable all the time. I don't see how "referable" and "referenceable" could possibly be interchanged.
Without getting into all of the dictionary definitions, the act of referring is to point to some information, thing, or person. For instance, someone can refer a friend to a doctor, or refer to an article in the newspaper, etc.
A reference would be an entity that can act as a source of validation. In normal pedestrian use, that might be a reference on a job application, or a satisfied customer, etc. A reference may or may not be the referrer. For instance, I could refer someone to a friend of mine who is a painter, and never have used the service. Therefore, I could not be a reference. I could also refer a friend to a plumber based on a great experience. In that case I would be the referrer and could be used as a reference.
The act of being referenceable (as we always utilize this term) is the ability to provide a reference to a prospective client, which requires that reference's consent. A lot of times in our industry, customers don't want to be used as a reference, no matter how satisfied they are. Usually it is for security reasons, or to protect competitive secrets. In this business, organizations willing to be used as references are rare, and because of this, extremely valuable. Especially in a business filled with custom solutions, a reference can lend credibility to a claim of being able to solve a particular complex problem.
If I sell a unique piece of technology to the CIA, and it solves a critical problem, they would never let me use them as a reference to another customer. Therefore, they are not "referenceable." We always ask our clients if "a successful solution would be referenceable." So, it's very common vernacular in our industry, and the meaning is very clear and more accurate than "referable."
-
1'Without getting into all of the dictionary definitions', in other words: you are just sharing your own definitions that may diverge from the agreed upon truth. Not very helpful, since the OP is here to avoid ambiguity.– klaarNov 9, 2015 at 11:06
If the word is truly commonly used in business, it is a word, even if the dictionaries have not yet caught up with it. One of the powerful aspects of English is its ability to acommodate the development of new words. I'm not sure there is distinction between referable and referenceable; I believe one could refer to a poem, for example, but might not be able to use it as a reference in a technical context. In which case a poem would be referable but not referenceable, and a technical guide would be referenceable and perhaps referable.
I am looking it up right now because I am copy editing a business proposal. The word "referable" is used in this case to refer to customers who are willing to be used as references for the kind of work being done, as in "These are referenceable customers."
I received an e-mail from the CFO of a vendor we work with stating "satisfied, referenceable customers" would be their goal for their new year.
I was communicating this to a colleague, and got the familiar squiggly-misspelled-word-line under the word in my typed message. When my right-mouse-click returned no suitable suggested correct spelling, I went to the internet to research. While it would appear that the word is accepted in the business community for its implied meaning, there has not been an official declaration by any familiarly known resource that it is in fact a legitimate word.
But language adapts. Shakespeare made up words that are now used regularly. Pop culture references will also invade our accepted speech. If you don’t believe me, google it.
In technical terms among the software developers, business analysts and database administrators, the term referenceable could be used to describe a data element that can be linked in some way to another piece of data, by means of some shared data key, and therefore something that can be used; It is a field that is able to be referenced.
Examples can be searched and found from the 'interwebs': https://developers.podio.com/doc/items/find-referenceable-items-22485 https://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/javax/naming/Referenceable.html
The difference is that "being referred" is different than "being referenced".
I can reference someone (bring them up in conversation) or refer someone (tell them to go see someone).
answered Aug 4, 2016 at 15:10
