A
referring expression (RE), in
linguistics, is any noun phrase, or surrogate for a noun phrase, whose function in discourse is to
identify some individual object (thing, being, event...) The
technical terminology for
identify differs a great deal from one school of linguistics to another. The most widespread term is probably
refer, and a thing identified is a
referent, as for example in the work of
John Lyons. In linguistics, the study of reference relations belongs to
pragmatics, the study of language use, though it is also a matter of great interest to philosophers, especially those wishing to understand the nature of
knowledge,
perception and
cognition more generally.