| absent referent |
| Definition - A referent is a thing that a word refers to. If the thing that the word refers to does not exist, the thing that doesn't exist is called the absent referent. |
|
Example - (1) Words in everyday usage that refer to no actual object, such as nothing, null, and void. (2) The mathematical symbol for the empty set — i.e., { }. (3) A pronoun that refers to a missing antecedent — e.g., There is no joy in envy. (In the above, the demonstrative pronoun there refers to an absent referent.) |