Meaning & use
oblique reference
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Meanings
phrasecountableformal
An indirect mention of something, made without naming it clearly, so that only some listeners or readers understand what is meant.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'an oblique reference' or 'oblique references'. It is usually followed by 'to' plus the thing hinted at.
Patterns
- an oblique reference to something
- make an oblique reference to something
- in an oblique reference to something
In her speech, the mayor made an oblique reference to the recent scandal without mentioning any names.
The poem contains several oblique references to the poet's unhappy childhood.
He kept making oblique references to 'certain people', and everyone knew he meant his former business partner.
phrasecountableformaldisapproving
A remark that is deliberately unclear or hard to understand because it approaches the subject from an odd angle instead of stating it directly.
Grammar: Countable and often used in the plural. It suggests the speaker chose to be confusing, not that they made a mistake.
Patterns
- a series of oblique references
- be full of oblique references
His answer was full of oblique references that left the interviewers more puzzled than before.
The report's oblique references to 'irregularities' failed to tell the public what had actually gone wrong.
Word forms
| plural | oblique references |
|---|
Common combinations
- make an oblique reference to
- She made an oblique reference to the budget problems during her toast.
- an oblique reference to something
- There was an oblique reference to the war in the opening chapter.
- full of oblique references
- The review was full of oblique references to other critics.
- a veiled/oblique reference
- The editor removed every veiled or oblique reference to the company's founder.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hint
- A hint is a small piece of information that helps you guess; an oblique reference is more formal and usually refers to a specific thing the speaker is avoiding naming.
- allusion
- An allusion is often a literary or cultural reference that the reader is expected to recognize; an oblique reference can point to anything and may be deliberately vague.
- innuendo
- Innuendo usually carries a negative or suggestive meaning and is often disapproving; an oblique reference is neutral and simply means an indirect mention.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: oblique reference or obligatory? oblique reference or allusion?
oblique reference vs obligatory
Obligatory means 'required by a rule or law'; oblique means 'indirect or slanting'. They sound somewhat similar but have completely different meanings.
oblique reference vs allusion
An allusion is a reference to a well-known person, book, or event that the audience is expected to know; an oblique reference does not have to be well known and is simply indirect.
Practice
In the sentence 'The senator made an oblique reference to the trade deal,' what does 'oblique' most nearly mean?
Choose one answer.
'Oblique' means not direct, so an oblique reference hints at something without naming it. 'Very detailed and exact' is the opposite of oblique; 'angry' and 'humorous' describe tone, not indirectness, and the sentence gives no evidence of either.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “oblique reference”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.