Full Idea
For Wright, an expression refers to an object if it fulfils the 'syntactic role' of a singular term, and if we have fixed the truth-conditions of sentences containing it in such a way that some of them come out true.
Gist of Idea
An expression refers if it is a singular term in some true sentences
Source
report of Crispin Wright (Frege's Concept of Numbers as Objects [1983]) by Michael Dummett - Frege philosophy of mathematics Ch.15
Book Reference
Dummett,Michael: 'Frege: philosophy of mathematics' [Duckworth 1991], p.189
A Reaction
Much waffle is written about reference, and it is nice to hear of someone actually trying to state the necessary and sufficient conditions for reference to be successful. So is it possible for 'the round square' to ever refer? '...is impossible to draw'