Indication and Reference

Indication

Indication noun - A slight or indirect pointing to something (as a solution or explanation).

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Reference and indication are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Reference" instead a noun "Indication".

Reference noun - Something mentioned in a text as providing related and especially supporting information.

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Indication and reference are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Indication" instead a noun "Reference".

good	good indication	good reference
musical	musical indication	musical reference
clear	clear indication	clear reference
brief	brief indication	brief reference
Other adjectives: direct, single, obvious, overt, small, actual, real, big, huge, little, quick, subtle, deliberate, early, vague, possible, explicit, indirect, further, visual, earliest, throwaway.

The only indication that he'll eventually become a villain is a single reference at the end that his future won't necessarily be happy.

Source: Protagonist Journey to Villain
Mort Cadaver is a subversion, as his name is a reference to his job (as the coroner of Ooga Booga) rather than an indication of villainy.

Source: Video Game / King's Quest VII: The Princeless Bride
He self-identifies as a bisexual but is only seen dating or displaying an attraction to men, the only indication of him being interested with women was a throwaway reference to him coming onto a woman offscreen.

Source: But Not Too Bi

Cite this Source

Reference and Indication. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 13, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/indication/reference

Indication & Reference. N.p., 2016. Web. 13 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/indication/reference>.

Reference or Indication. 2016. Accessed August 13, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/indication/reference.

Google Ngram Viewer shows how "indication" and "reference" have occurred on timeline