Indyref means: The Scottish independence referendum held on 18 September 2014.. It is mainly Scottish English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
Indyref
(Scotland, informal) The Scottish independence referendum held on 18 September 2014.
Etymology timeline
Born ~2014 · no dated citations yetDefinitions
#1·Apr 27, 2026
(Scotland, informal) The Scottish independence referendum held on 18 September 2014.
In the first foreign policy initiative launched in Edinburgh since 1707, senior SNP figures have begun an intense round of behind-the-scenes meetings with foreign dignitaries as they prepare the ground for next year's indyref.
Origin: [[File:Scottish independence referendum results.svg|thumb|A map showing the results of the Scottish independence referendum, 2014, by council area, with the saturation of the colour indicating the strength of the vote. 55.3% of voters voted against independence (red), and 44.7% in favour of it (green).]] Abbreviation of independence referendum. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents
Indyref means: The Scottish independence referendum held on 18 September 2014.. It is mainly Scottish English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
Indyref means: The Scottish independence referendum held on 18 September 2014.. Register: informal, Scottish English. Often not understood outside its region; gloss the word on first use when writing for an international audience. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Cluster: general
Was this helpful?
Comments
For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Have a better definition?
Add your own interpretation of "Indyref".
🗺️About Regional & Other slang
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
Tags
Other words near "Indyref" (I)
industrial actionindustrial piercingindustrial tribunalindustry plantindustrywiseIndyIndyref2inelasticinfamousinfantinfanteerinfanteering
Browse all slang words starting with I.