referee
Americannoun
-
referees
plural
-
one to whom something is referred, especially for decision or settlement; arbitrator.
- Synonyms:
- arbiter
-
(in certain games and sports) a judge having functions fixed by the rules of the game or sport; umpire.
-
an authority who evaluates scientific, technical, or scholarly papers, grant proposals, or the like for the publication or funding institution to which they have been submitted.
-
Law. a person selected by a court to take testimony in a case and return it to the court with recommendations as to the decision.
verb (used with object)
-
referees,
present (3rd person singular)
-
refereed,
past participle, past
-
refereeing
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
referees,
present (3rd person singular)
-
refereed,
past participle, past
-
refereeing
present participle
noun
-
a person to whom reference is made, esp for an opinion, information, or a decision
-
the umpire or judge in any of various sports, esp football and boxing, responsible for ensuring fair play according to the rules
-
a person who is willing to testify to the character or capabilities of someone
-
law See Official Referee
verb
Usage
What does referee mean? The word referee most commonly refers to an official in a sporting event who enforces the rules of the game. In sports, referees do things like call fouls and stop play when there has been a violation of the rules. Basketball, football, and soccer are examples of sports that used this kind of referee. In the context of sports, the word referee is commonly shortened with the informal term ref. The word referee is also sometimes used to refer to a person who acts as a formal authority or arbitrator in some kind of decision, such as a legal case. Sometimes, the word refers to a person who’s responsible for reviewing scientific or academic papers or grant proposals. Referee can also be used in a figurative way to refer to someone who has to enforce the rules in some situation, as in I spent the afternoon playing referee to several toddlers. In all of its senses, referee can be used as a verb meaning to act as a referee, as in I signed up to referee my daughter’s soccer games. Example: I’ve never understood why players argue with referees—have you ever seen one reverse their call?
Synonym Usage
See judge.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
refereesimple
-
refereessimple
-
have refereedperfect
-
has refereedperfect
-
am refereeingprogressive
-
are refereeingprogressive
-
is refereeingprogressive
-
have been refereeingperfect progressive
-
has been refereeingperfect progressive
Past
-
refereedsimple
-
had refereedperfect
-
was refereeingprogressive
-
were refereeingprogressive
-
had been refereeingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of referee
Explanation
That guy on the field in black and white stripes? He's a referee, an official in a sport like football or basketball who enforces the rules. In sports, referees are there to make sure the rules are followed and everyone gets a fair shake. This word works as both a noun and a verb: referees referee games. Off the court, the world is full of everyday referees. A court appointed lawyer who investigates and reports on a case is a referee. And academics who evaluate each other's work are referees. In all cases, referees get to make official calls on what's OK and not OK.
Vocabulary lists containing referee
Set, Hut! Football Vocabulary
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Words Football Fans Can Master Easily
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Vocabulary of the Summer Olympics
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
It should only apply when the referee has, for instance, penalised Team A for handball, but the handball was by Team B.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
A player must go off if they cause the referee to stop the game even if they do not request treatment.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
That’s how Iván Barton described the moment he heard his last name called during the 2026 World Cup referee assignment meeting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
The referee was required to stop the match around the 22nd minute of each half.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
When the referee blew his whistle three times to signal the end of the game, the score was 7-2, Phoenix.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
The league office needs to send a directive to all team owners, coaches, players and referees, to stop this behavior and play like professionals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
He likened it to referees betting on the outcome of a basketball game.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
The next sentence changed his career forever: “Barton, your match is France vs. Spain. … After that, I didn’t hear anything else. I didn’t even know who my assistant referees would be.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
I'm sorry to disappoint any conspiracy theorists, but I can promise you there aren't any clandestine meetings between Fifa's executive committee and the referees.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Jenna and Shanti battle Kareena and me in a massive pillow fight while Didu referees.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
Barton officiated the France-Spain match, while American Ismail Elfath refereed the England-Argentina match.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
If you change the way a game is being refereed, you must adapt video review too.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
It takes into account the laws of the game and, crucially, how the Premier League expects its games to be refereed.
From BBC ● Jan. 13, 2026
Crane has refereed 17 races in 12 countries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 22, 2025
“When’s he ever refereed a Quidditch match? He’s not going to be fair if we might overtake Slytherin.”
From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling
To the young girl who simply loved refereeing and dreamed of reaching the very top - we did it.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
Video assistant referees should only be used to change "blatantly incorrect" decisions and clear missed incidents, say European refereeing officials.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Social media has been flooded with posts from users in Colombia, Chile, Uruguay, Ecuador and Peru questioning refereeing decisions or expressing disapproval of Argentina, while messages mocking rival teams also proliferated from Argentine accounts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
“There will always be an element of subjectivity in some decisions,” the organization’s head of refereeing Pierluigi Collina said, “but we are happy with how this principle has been applied throughout the tournament.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Most of the time, he’s too busy refereeing the fights between us, or else he’s just in his own orbit.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
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.
