refer
Americanverb (used with object)
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to direct for information or anything required.
He referred me to books on astrology.
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to direct the attention or thoughts of.
The asterisk refers the reader to a footnote.
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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.
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to recommend.
My electrician went above and beyond, and I would definitely refer her to a friend.
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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.
verb phrase
verb
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(intr) to make mention (of)
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(tr) to direct the attention of (someone) for information, facts, etc
the reader is referred to Chomsky, 1965
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(intr) to seek information (from)
I referred to a dictionary of English usage
he referred to his notes
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(intr) to be relevant (to); pertain or relate (to)
this song refers to an incident in the Civil War
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(tr) to assign or attribute
Cromwell referred his victories to God
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(tr) to hand over for consideration, reconsideration, or decision
to refer a complaint to another department
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(tr) to hand back to the originator as unacceptable or unusable
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(tr) to fail (a student) in an examination
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(tr) to send back (a thesis) to a student for improvement
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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
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(tr) to direct (a patient) for treatment to another doctor, usually a specialist
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(tr) social welfare to direct (a client) to another agency or professional for a service
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
- misrefer verb
- prerefer verb (used with object)
- referable adjective
- referrable adjective
- referral noun
- referrer noun
- referrible adjective
- unreferred adjective
- well-referred adjective
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”; bear 1
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.
In Japanese, the word geisha means "person of the arts", and can refer to a woman or man trained in traditional Japanese performing arts.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
All told, it’s still rare, at least for now, for a myeloma patient to refer to themselves as cured or for an oncologist to refer to a myeloma patient that way.
From Slate • Mar. 29, 2026
The National Football Museum does, though, refer to it as the first shootout in England.
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026
Economists often refer to this as Knightian uncertainty, where the probability of possible outcomes is not quantifiable.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026
Given the sharp sectional divisions in the debate, the vote to refer the petitions to a committee was surprisingly one-sided, 43 to 11; seven of the negative votes came from South Carolina and Georgia.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
