ref

¹ American  

[ref] / rɛf /

noun

Sports Slang.

reffed, reffing

1. referee.

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ref. ² American  

abbreviation

1. referee.

2. reference.

3. referred.

4. refining.

5. reformation.

6. reformed.

7. refund.

8. refunding.

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ref. ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. referee

2. reference

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ref ² British  

/ rɛf /

noun

1. informal short for referee

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Usage

What does ref mean? Ref is an informal and shortened way of referring to a referee, an official in a sporting event who enforces the rules of the game. In sports, refs 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 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. Ref can be used as a shortened form of referee in these contexts, but it’s much less common than its use in sports. Sometimes, the word is used as an informal way of addressing a referee, as in “Hey, Ref, good call!” said no one ever.  Like referee, ref can be used as a verb meaning to act as a referee, as in I signed up to ref my daughter’s soccer games. Example: I’ve never understood why players argue with refs—have you ever seen one reverse their call? 

Etymology

Origin of ref

First recorded in 1895–1900; by shortening

Explanation

A ref is the person who arbitrates conflicts during a sports match or game, and makes sure everyone's playing by the rules. If your team gets a bad call, blame the ref. Ref is shorthand for referee, which until the mid-1800s meant "a person who examines patent applications." By 1856, a referee was a baseball official, and the nickname ref followed soon after. You can use this word as a noun, for the person wearing a striped shirt and running up and down the edge of the football field — or a verb, to mean "officiate at a sporting event."

Example Sentences

Mike: I don't even care if it's the right decision, well done to the ref at City for making his OWN decision after being sent to the monitor by VAR.

From BBC • Jan. 24, 2026

If the ref isn't sure he should ask VAR to bring it up on the monitor instead of waiting five minutes.

From BBC • Nov. 11, 2025

Stop VAR telling the ref what to do and let the ref use VAR himself.

From BBC • Nov. 11, 2025

Too many players conning the ref trying to get advantage, in particular players going down holding face or head when never touched.

From BBC • Nov. 11, 2025

The ref blew the whistle again, calling a technical foul.

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan

Related Words

• referee
• umpire