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

/ rɪˈfɜːrəbəl, rɪˈfɜː, ˈrɛfərəbəl /

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

“I would refer to him as my father in football, but that would probably be diminishing the impact he’s had on my life.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

In the industry, some also refer to “open-source” models, which provide a higher level of transparency, offering users full access to weights, training code and other data.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

Because the interaction would operate only within the dark matter sector, researchers refer to it as a "dark force."

From Science Daily ● Aug. 2, 2026

Economists refer to these events as “shocks” that can be sudden and unpredictable, but don’t tend to raise inflation in the long run.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026

The ancients did refer to the ‘laws’ of nature when they wanted to say that nature is regular and predictable, but they never identified any particular scientific principle as a law.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

At multiple points, the motion refers to the comments as “locker room” talk.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

That refers to systematic strategies employed by hedge funds and other big investors automatically buying when volatility is down.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

Once refined to improve its purity, the extracted gold is used to make jewellery for the Royal Mint's "886" brand, which refers to the date the institution was founded.

From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026

The song refers to the pressures of fame, and the video shows Grande as a starlet who tries out for a group of talent scouts, dressing as a variety of different pop star personas.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

Throughout the world; refers to expanding one’s market beyond the immediate area of production.

From "The Lemonade War" by Jacqueline Davies

One referred to the filing as “insane,” while another suggested Flores’ case should have been dismissed in the interest of justice.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

She still referred to the governor’s action as a “good first step.”

From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026

Lithium-ion battery scrap—often referred to as black mass—contains lithium and other critical materials such as cobalt, nickel, manganese and graphite.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

State-owned newspaper al-Ahram said several suspects believed to have taken part in the plot were detained and referred for an expedited criminal trial.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

Maneuvering silently through the streets of Germany's demolished capital city—sometimes referred to as the "capital of the Cold War"—the CIA and its main adversary, the KGB, jockeyed for advantage on Bill Harvey's new battlefield.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

If they don't stop, then further enforcement action can be taken, such as referring them for prosecution.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

Later in the call, Musk said SpaceX’s “understanding with Nvidia is that we will receive a very significant percentage of their GPUs next year,” referring to graphics processing units.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

“Mr. Carvalho never intentionally concealed any income or gifts on his Form 700 filings,” the attorneys said, referring to the state disclosure forms.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

"The most recent development that makes me somewhat optimistic is that Greece now has a new civil protection law," he said, referring to the Active Battle legislation approved by parliament this spring.

From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026

Herr Becker was referring to the Nazis’ claim that the riots were an unplanned uprising in retaliation for the murder of a high-ranking Nazi official by a Jew.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

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