Synonyms

refer

American

[ri-fur] / rɪˈfɜr /

verb (used with object)

to direct for information or anything required.

He referred me to books on astrology.
to direct the attention or thoughts of.

The asterisk refers the reader to a footnote.
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.
to recommend.

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

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

/ rɪˈfɜː /

verb

(intr) to make mention (of)
(tr) to direct the attention of (someone) for information, facts, etc

the reader is referred to Chomsky, 1965
(intr) to seek information (from)

I referred to a dictionary of English usage
he referred to his notes
(intr) to be relevant (to); pertain or relate (to)

this song refers to an incident in the Civil War
(tr) to assign or attribute

Cromwell referred his victories to God
(tr) to hand over for consideration, reconsideration, or decision

to refer a complaint to another department
(tr) to hand back to the originator as unacceptable or unusable
(tr) to fail (a student) in an examination
(tr) to send back (a thesis) to a student for improvement
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
(tr) to direct (a patient) for treatment to another doctor, usually a specialist
(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

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

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”; see also bear ¹

Explanation

If you refer to something, you consult it. To check your spelling, you refer to a dictionary. If you want to know when your spring break starts, you can refer to your class schedule. Refer is made up of two very useful Latin roots: re- "back" and ferre "carry," and when one thing refers to another, one meaning “carries back” to the other — there’s some kind of connection. "The term “Spaghetti Western” refers to a kind of Western often filmed in Italy by Italian filmmakers, in Italian." If you have a mysterious rash, your doctor might refer you — send you — to an allergist.

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Vocabulary lists containing refer

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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.

See Examples For:

refer refers referred referring

Mogging can also take many forms and refer to someone excelling in any number of different ways.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

This sentence could refer to any number of actions undertaken by the department in recent months.

From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2026

They even politely refer to the enemy as “Japanese people.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

One-hundred years of monthly returns, adjusted for inflation, seems a pretty good sample, especially in an era when venture capitalists and Wall Street frequently refer to 10 or 20 years as “long term.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026

First, ‘evidence’ can refer to something that is evident.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

The forged check, which he refers to as McCauley’s “brazen last blast,” helped Cook grasp the scale of the money he was earning during his peak.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Mogging - not to be confused with mugging or mugging someone off - refers to outshining or dominating someone, most often in looks.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

This refers to networks of devices that exchange information and respond automatically to changing conditions.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026

It refers to the mythical Slavic crone, Baba Yaga, who either gives heroes a boon or lures wayward children to a forest hut that moves around on bird legs.

From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2026

In this period the word ‘model’ is ambiguous: it can carry the modern meaning but more often it refers to a graphic representation, a plan or drawing.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

When Gerwig made “Barbie,” people consistently referred to her as a “female director,” Abdy said — not a “director.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

It referred to a bill in Sacramento in 1870, when Pacheco was a state legislator.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

BBC Sport approached Hyrox for comment, but they referred us to the statements made by World Triathlon.

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

Also referred to as PBMs, these businesses are facing scrutiny in Washington over their perceived role in contributing to rising healthcare costs.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

But precisely what it referred to, or what Hamilton allegedly said about Burr, is unidentified.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

But she added it was important that the government's deal is implemented in a way that "avoids unintended consequences for established product descriptions which consumers clearly understand as referring to a flavour".

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

“Data centers in space looking pretty appealing right now,” Musk said on X early Wednesday, referring to his idea of locating the facilities in orbit to avoid challenges building them on Earth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

"Data centers in space looking pretty appealing right now," Musk quipped after the vote, referring to his goal of a satellite computing network.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

He was referring to the U.S.-Israeli operation that launched the war on Iran on Feb. 28.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

“Benito Viñes,” she said, referring to the priest whose photograph hung above the supercomputer back at the FARM.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

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