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

“You need to refer back to that,” said Goldie.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026

Faith is obviously so important to you, and I’ve heard you many times refer to it as your “authentic why.”

From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2026

He has also called for US government documents to refer to the technology as "super intelligence," arguing that the word artificial "makes it sound fake."

From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026

The department sent a statement in response that appears to refer to the nine-time Pro Bowl selection’s nickname Weapon X.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

I no longer refer to her as Mother because she’s not currently here to “mother” me.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

He laid out an affordability plan, which he refers to as “Califordable,” that he would prioritize if elected governor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

Zionism refers to the movement to create a Jewish state in the Middle East.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

Neko doesn’t prescribe medications, and it refers serious findings to a network of health systems and physician practices.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026

Title IX refers to the 1972 civil rights law prohibiting sex-based discrimination, and it applies to any school that receives federal financial assistance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

A wonderful word for a wonderful idea, irony refers to a sly form of expression in which you say one thing and mean another.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

About three-quarters of families referred have been able to stay together, staff told us.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

The video explainer referred to inspections only generally, and the state’s written guidance indicated only that this would need to happen before occupancy.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

These are referred to as “common law” claims that are long-standing and traditional but do not rely on a measure approved by the Legislature.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

The Lincoln High School athletic director referred questions to the Western Placer Unified School District, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

The agents never registered Burkhart in hotels under his own name, and referred to him by the alias “E. J. Ernest.”

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

“Agents are only as useful as what they can see,” he wrote, referring to the fact that companies’ data often resides in Microsoft platforms like SharePoint, OneDrive and Teams.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026

“The Beast is going faster than it has ever gone before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, referring to the heavily armored presidential limousine.

From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026

"It's hard to overstate how dangerous speeding towards RSI is," Wang posted in response to Coxon's resignation, referring to recursive self-improvement, which is a technique where software is designed to continuously teach itself.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

He’s referring to the city’s decision to post an online list of some 900,000 homeowners, including their names, addresses and property values, that it said were “related” to the surcharge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

“This is probably what Balto felt like!” cried Reginald, referring to the intrepid husky sled dog who had made the famous lifesaving medicine run from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska.

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein

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