Refer Definition & Meaning

American

British

Usage

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms refer American [ri-fur] / rɪˈfɜr /

verb (used with object)

referred, referring

1. to direct for information or anything required.

   He referred me to books on astrology.

2. to direct the attention or thoughts of.

   The asterisk refers the reader to a footnote.

3. to hand over or submit for information, consideration, treatment, assistance, decision, etc..

   They were forced to refer the argument to arbitration.

   The doctor will decide whether to carry out blood tests in the office or to refer the patient to a hospital.

4. to recommend.

   My electrician went above and beyond, and I would definitely refer her to a friend.

5. to assign to a class, period, etc.; regard as belonging or related.

   Animals referred to the phylum Platyhelminthes are also known as flatworms due to their flattened bodies.

   Synonyms: impute, ascribe, attribute

verb phrase

1. refer to

   1. to have recourse or resort to; turn to, as for aid or information.

      I can't remember the answer offhand, so I'll have to refer to my notes.

   2. to mention; speak briefly of.

      The author referred to his teachers twice in the article.

   3. to relate to; apply to; mean or denote.

      The term “contingency fee” refers to an arrangement where legal fees are due to the attorney only if the case is successful.

   4. to direct attention to, as a reference mark does.

      Each number refers to an endnote.

refer British / rɪˈfɜːrəbəl, rɪˈfɜː, ˈrɛfərəbəl /

verb

1. (intr) to make mention (of)

2. (tr) to direct the attention of (someone) for information, facts, etc

   the reader is referred to Chomsky, 1965

3. (intr) to seek information (from)

   I referred to a dictionary of English usage

   he referred to his notes

4. (intr) to be relevant (to); pertain or relate (to)

   this song refers to an incident in the Civil War

5. (tr) to assign or attribute

   Cromwell referred his victories to God

6. (tr) to hand over for consideration, reconsideration, or decision

   to refer a complaint to another department

7. (tr) to hand back to the originator as unacceptable or unusable

8. (tr) to fail (a student) in an examination

9. (tr) to send back (a thesis) to a student for improvement

10. a request by a bank that the payee consult the drawer concerning a cheque payable by that bank (usually because the drawer has insufficient funds in his account), payment being suspended in the meantime

11. (tr) to direct (a patient) for treatment to another doctor, usually a specialist

12. (tr) social welfare to direct (a client) to another agency or professional for a service

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

The common practice of adding back to refer is tautologous, since this meaning is already contained in the re- of refer: this refers to (not back to ) what has already been said . However, when refer is used in the sense of passing a document or question for further consideration to the person from whom it was received, it may be appropriate to say he referred the matter back

Other Word Forms

• misrefer verb
• prerefer verb (used with object)
• referable adjective
• referrable adjective
• referral noun
• referrer noun
• referrible adjective
• unreferred adjective
• well-referred adjective

Etymology

Origin of refer

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English referren, from Latin referre “to bring back,” from re- re- + ferre “to bear, bring, carry”; bear 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

IPC Phase 5 signifies the most extreme level of food insecurity , labelled "Famine" for an area or "Catastrophe" when referring to households.

From BBC

The incident has been referred to the Information Commissioners Office.

From BBC

These concentrations are often referred to as "spikes" or "mounds."

From Science Daily

“I thought you all kind of approved of Justice Scalia,” Case said to laughter, referring to the late Supreme Court justice who popularized originalism.

From The Wall Street Journal

My father, who started out in life as a salesman and later owned a business, used to refer to “my place of business” as a nearly sacred place.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• commit
• deliver
• hand over
• introduce
• pass on
• recommend
• send
• submit
• transfer
• turn over

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.