cross-reference

1 of 2

noun

cross-ref·​er·​ence ˈkrȯs-ˈre-fərn(t)s 

-ˈre-f(ə-)rən(t)s

: a notation or direction at one place (as in a book or filing system) to pertinent information at another place

cross-reference

2 of 2

verb

cross-referenced; cross-referencing; cross-references

transitive verb

1

: to supply with cross-references

cross-reference a book

2

: to research, verify, or organize by means of cross-references

cross-reference information

Examples of cross-reference in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Once an image is captured, the system can cross-reference it with a vast database of publicly available information to retrieve relevant stock data, including the company's stock price, earnings reports, latest news or even social media discussions related to that brand. —Lester Pereira, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025

Complementing these features, the triangulation reports cross-reference medical records with billing statements to identify any missing or overlooked records or expenses to assure that every record and bill is accounted for. —Ethan Stone, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025

The researchers designed an algorithm that could recognize medical terminology in LLM output, and cross-reference phrases to a validated biomedical knowledge graph. —John Timmer, Ars Technica, 8 Jan. 2025

Applied to immigration, AI can process and cross-reference information in real-time, identifying red flags or connections to criminal networks that human analysts might miss. —Kevin Cohen, New York Daily News, 31 Dec. 2024

Booking with a travel specialist can also be a good value for multiple family groups traveling together, as their specialist can often cross-reference their reservations to ensure their cabins, dining assignments, and shore excursions are booked together. —Scott Laird, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Dec. 2024

Modern platforms can cross-reference multiple authoritative data sources in real time, automatically flag discrepancies for review and update information across multiple systems simultaneously. —Tammy Hawes, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024

Additionally, implementing machine learning algorithms that cross-reference multiple sources can help detect and prevent the propagation of inaccurate data. —Daniel Fallmann, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024

Compile a list of services and then cross-reference their reviews across multiple sources. —Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 1 Mar. 2024

Verb

Even when anonymized, agencies can cross-reference data sets to reveal information about specific individuals. —Olivia Gazis, CBS News, 16 June 2023

The agenda book was more useful, offering a way to cross-reference many of the meetings Villarejo claimed to have had. —Nicholas Casey, New York Times, 10 June 2023

The idea is that future AI systems will be able to cross-reference this data in the same way that current AI systems do for text inputs. —James Vincent, The Verge, 9 May 2023

At its lab in The Hague, the commission’s technicians can extract DNA from tiny samples of bone and cross-reference them with samples provided by families of the missing. —Mike Corder, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Apr. 2023

The pages of a spam cluster all cross-reference one another, creating the illusion that a lot of people are linking to a site. —Ariel Bleicher, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Feb. 2011

The DAs could then cross-reference the list with their criminal cases and identify any wrongful convictions. —oregonlive, 4 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1834, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for cross-reference

• deference
• preference
• reference

Kids Definition

cross-reference

noun

cross-ref·​er·​ence

ˈkrȯs-ˈref-ərn(t)s,

-ˈref-(ə-)rən(t)s

: a reference made from one place to another (as in a dictionary)