Plural of Referendum

The Quick Answer

The plural of "referendum" is "referendums." "Referenda" (the Latin plural) has dropped out of use.

The Plural of Referendum

The plural of "referendum" is "referendums." The Latin plural "referenda" is now considered defunct or pretentious.
  • Referendums give the public unmediated and direct control over a policy. correct tick
  • Overusing referendums undermines parliamentary sovereignty. correct tick
The noun "referendum" has a Latin root, which is the derivation of the now defunct plural "referenda." "Referendums" (which adheres to the standard rules for forming plurals) is by far the more common version.

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The Standard Rules for Forming the Plurals

The table below shows the standard rules for forming the plurals of nouns in English.
Type Example of Type Forming the Plural Plural
Most Nouns lamp
referendum
add s lamps
referendums
Noun Ending s, sh, ch, x or z fetus
dress
add es fetuses
dresses
Nouns ending [consonant] o hero
zero
tomato
add either s or es
(There are no rules for this - you have to know.)
heroes
zeros
tomatoes
Nouns ending [vowel] o patio
ratio
add s patios
ratios
Nouns ending [consonant] y story
penny
change the y to an i and add es stories
pennies
Nouns ending [vowel] y donkey
chimney
add s donkeys
chimneys
Nouns ending f or fe dwarf
hoof
ves and/or s
(There are no rules - you have to know.)
dwarfs
hooves or hoofs
Exceptions man
louse
some nouns undergo a vowel or letters change men
lice
More exceptions salmon
sheep
some nouns do not change at all salmon
sheep
Foreign rulings fetus
medium
referendum
some nouns adopt foreign rulings feti
media
referenda
(now defunct)
Read more about English spelling rules.

Why Is There Confusion over the Plural of Referendum?

Confusion arises over the plural of "referendum" because writers are unsure whether to opt for "referenda," which derives from the Latin root of "referendum," or "referendums," which adheres to the standard ruling for forming plurals.

In the past, both "referendums" and "referenda" were acceptable, but "referenda" has fallen out of use to the extent that many now consider it wrong or pretentious.

This graph from Google's Ngram viewer shows the recent decline of "referenda." Note that the Ngram viewer scans the texts of published authors and academics. This is an important point because it tells us that those who consider such matters are now dropping "referenda."
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This page was written by Craig Shrives.