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In Noam Chomsky's government and binding theory in linguistics, an R-expression (short for "referring expression" (the linked article explains the different, broader usage in other theories of linguistics) or "referential expression") is a noun phrase that refers to a specific real or imaginary entity. In contrast with anaphors and pronouns/pronominals, R-expressions obey condition C, which states that they are free, not bound to any other element. R-expressions include determiner phrases that are definite, and names.

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Jackson, Eric Maurice (27 May 2023). "What is an R-expression, and how is it different from a pronoun?". Unit 2: Constituency and structure. OpenClass. Archived from the original on 26 September 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2024.

Kerstens, Johan; Ruys, Eddy; Zwarts, Joost, eds. (1996–2001). "R-expression". Lexicon of Linguistics. Utrecht Institute of Linguistics (OTS), Utrecht University. Archived from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2024.

Trask, R. L. (15 April 2013). "R-expression". A Dictionary of Grammatical Terms in Linguistics. Routledge. pp. 241–242. ISBN 978-1-134-88420-9.