We use the following terms to explain the referential integrity concept.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Parent Table | The table referred to by a Child table. Also called the “referenced table.” |
| Child Table | A table in which the referential constraints are defined. Also called the “referencing table.” |
| Parent Key | A candidate key in the parent table. |
| Primary Key | With respect to referential integrity, a primary key is a parent table column set that is referred to by a foreign key column set in a child table. |
| Foreign Key | With respect to referential integrity, a foreign key is a child table column set that refers to a primary key column set in a parent table. |