In legal citation, "cf" is an abbreviation for the Latin word "confer," which means "compare". It is used as a signal indicating that the cited source supports a different claim or proposition than the one just made, and that it is worthwhile to compare the two claims and assess the difference. "Cf" is classified as a signal indicating support, rather than one of comparison, and is used when a comparison between the textual assertion and the cited source would support the proposition by analogy. It is important to note that "cf" does not indicate that the cited source directly supports the proposition, and actual support to the claim just made should not be assumed. Parenthetical explanations are encouraged to explain how a "cf" source relates to the text.