Also called the ‘absolute’ frame of reference, this is one of three frames of reference languages provide to specify how something (the ‘figure’) is located with respect to something else (the ‘ground’) on the horizontal plane. In the geocentric frame of reference, the speaker uses fixed external bearings, as in “the fork is to the north/south/east/west of the spoon” or “uphill of”, “inland of”, etc.). In the relative frame of reference, the speaker specifies the position of the objects from his own point-of-view (“the fork is to the left/right of the spoon/ … is in front of/behind the spoon”). In the intrinsic frame of reference, the speaker relies on features or axes of the ground object (“the fork is beside the spoon/ … is at the tip of the spoon”).
See Allocentric search, Appearance-reality distinction, Linguistics