Is “referendum” singular or plural?
The plural of referendum is a contentious topic in grammar. Major online dictionaries state that a referendum accepts both referenda and referendums as plural forms.
The committee discussed several important referenda before making a decision.
The voters approved both referendums on the ballot.
The town planned two major referendum for the spring.
We need to consider all the different referenduma proposed.
Though there is an ongoing debate on the correct plural, both referenda and referendums are accepted. The choice is personal.
The gist: referendum
While referendum might sound arcane, the root “refer” relates to words like relate, remember, reflect, and remind. Refer comes from Latin, referre “to relate, refer”; referendum in Latin means “that which must be referred” or “thing brought back.”
The original Latin plural is referenda. Familiarity with Latinate suffixes suggests replacing –um with –a for the plural: curriculum, curricula; memorandum, memoranda; colloquium, colloquia, etc.
| singular | plural |
|---|---|
| colloquium | colloquia or colloquiums |
| referendum | referenda or referendums |
| memorandum | memoranda or memorandums |
| curriculum | curricula or curriculums |
| addendum | addenda or addendums |
| symposium | symposia or symposiums |
Most Latin nouns now accept the standard English plural form by adding –s: curriculums, referendums, memorandums, colloquiums, and so on.
What’s a referendum?
A referendum is “when a country asks the people to vote on a policy and show whether or not they agree with it.”
Irregular nouns that end in -um and -a:
Irregular nouns ending in -on/-um typically convert to –a as a plural. This is characteristic of Latin words, but referendum now also accepts the Modern English –s plural. See the chart above for other examples.
Referendum’s plurals: “referenda” is like “data” (Latin) and “referendums” is like “museums” (English). Both work!
Examples of referendum used in context
| Examples of “referendum” |
|---|
| The Republican Party’s defeat in the Virginia election was a “referendum” on President Trump’s administration, Republican congressman Scott Taylor has said. (The Independent) |
| Estonia said today it too plans to hold a referendum on independence. |
| What if she is forced to hold another referendum? |
| Without a looming referendum the government would be governing instead of campaigning or waiting for the result. |
| Voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected a referendum question asking if they wanted to impose a district election system on the city, but a state senator pushing the move says the vote was “a sham.” (The Asheville Citizen-Times) |
Examples of referendums used in context
| Examples of “referendums” |
|---|
| Nonrecurring referendums to exceed the state-imposed revenue cap previously approved by voters in the Wheatland Center School and Randall School districts will expire this year. (The Kenosha News) |
| Why hold elections and referendums if the public are not going to accept the outcome of them? |
| Mayoral referendums are being held today in Plymouth and Harlow. |
| Why not call a referendum to ask whether we want any more referendums: yes or no? |
| Times, Sunday Times (2015) |
| Virtual referendums on matters large or small are instant. |
Synonyms for referendum:
- ballot
- poll
- plebiscite
- public vote
Origin of the word referendum
| Word | Word origin |
|---|---|
| referendum | 1847, “a submitting of a question to the voters as a whole” from Latin referendum “that which must be referred.” |
Worksheet: Latin nouns
According to the blog post, which of the following are accepted plural forms of “referendum” by major online dictionaries?
The blog post mentions that “referenda” is the original form from which language?
Which plural form of “referendum” follows the standard English pattern of adding -s?
The blog post provides an example of incorrect usage: “The town planned two major referendum for the spring.” Why is this sentence incorrect?
According to the post, what is the status of the form “referenduma”?
The committee discussed several important before making a decision. (Fill in the blank with an accepted plural form from the post)
The voters approved both on the ballot. (Fill in the blank with the Anglicized plural form from the post)
Using the word when a plural is required, such as in “two major _______”, is marked as incorrect usage in the blog post.
Besides “referendum”, the blog post lists other Latin nouns ending in -um that accept both -a and -s plurals. One example provided is .
The blog post suggests that the choice between “referenda” and “referendums” for personal use is a personal .
FAQs
What are the accepted plurals of referendum?
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Can I use “referendum” for multiple items?
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Is there a debate about the plural form?
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Where do the different plural forms come from?
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Do other Latin -um words have similar plurals?
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Yash, D. "What’s the Plural of Referendum?." Grammarflex, Jun 25, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/whats-the-plural-of-referendum/.
