frame of referencenoun [ C ]
/ˈfreɪm əv ˈref·ər·əns, ˈref·rəns/plural frames of referencea set of ideas or facts that a person accepts and that influences the person’s behavior, opinions, or decisions:
The report provided a common frame of reference for discussing public policy.
physics A frame of reference is also a system of lines and clocks that you can use to measure the position and motion of a set of objects and events in relation to each other.