refer

[ ri-fur ]

/ rɪˈfɜr /

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See synonyms for: refer / referred / referring on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), re·ferred, re·fer·ring.

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, decision, etc.: to refer the argument to arbitration.

to assign to a class, period, etc.; regard as belonging or related.

to have relation; relate; apply.

verb (used without object), re·ferred, re·fer·ring.

to direct attention, as a reference mark does.

to have recourse or resort; turn, as for aid or information: to refer to one's notes.

to make reference or allusion: The author referred to his teachers twice in his article.

OTHER WORDS FOR refer

4 attribute, ascribe, impute.

5 pertain, belong.

8 advert, allude.

See synonyms for refer on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of refer

1325–75; Middle English referren<Latin referre to bring back, equivalent to re-re- + ferre to bring, bear¹

OTHER WORDS FROM refer

ref·er·a·ble, re·fer·ra·ble, re·fer·ri·ble

[ref-er-uh-buhl, ri-fur-], /ˈrɛf ər ə bəl, rɪˈfɜr-/, adjectivere·fer·rer, nounmis·re·fer, verb, mis·re·ferred, mis·re·fer·ring.pre·re·fer, verb (used with object), pre·re·ferred, pre·re·fer·ring.

un·re·ferred, adjectivewell-re·ferred, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use refer in a sentence

To study your competitor’s backlink profile in greater detail, click on the number of referring domains, and hit the Get full report button.
Analyzing competition with SE Ranking tools|Sponsored Content: SE Ranking|November 19, 2020|Search Engine Land
In cell biology, nucleus usually refers to a structure inside a cell that contains the cell’s genetic information.
Scientists Say: Nucleus|Bethany Brookshire|November 9, 2020|Science News For Students
It’s really cool that that word hasn’t changed its pronunciation at all in 8,000 years and still refers to a particular fish.
The English Word That Hasn’t Changed in Sound or Meaning in 8,000 Years - Facts So Romantic|Sevindj Nurkiyazova|November 9, 2020|Nautilus
“It’s a very potent voter suppression tool,” William Busa told Greater Diversity News, referring to efforts by Republican lawmakers in the state to make access to polling places more difficult.
Voting Rights Still Unfinished Business on Prairie View’s Agenda|Truthbetold|November 1, 2020|TruthBeTold.news

Becoming a hunter as an adult, or as I’ve come to refer to it, “adult-onset hunting,” isn’t the conventional path.
The Beginner's Guide to Hunting|Ian Fohrman|October 30, 2020|Outside Online
Nevertheless, the two specimens are clearly referable to their respective species and show no tendency toward intergradation.
A Synopsis of the American Bats of the Genus Pipistrellus|Walter W. Dalquest
They are referable to those generally extinct genera that inhabited the great depths of the primeval ocean.
Early Western Travels 1748-1846, Volume XVI|Various
The only examples referable to it come from a relatively restricted area of Durango, Mexico.
Speciation in the Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys ordii|Henry W. Setzer
But this may be referable to Hindú influences unequivocally traceable in other parts of the Pantheon.
The Ethnology of the British Colonies and Dependencies|Robert Gordon Latham
Although two clasping pairs were found, we obtained no eggs or tadpoles referable to this species.
Amphibians and Reptiles of the Rainforests of Southern El Peten, Guatemala|William E. Duellman

British Dictionary definitions for refer

refer

/ (rɪˈfɜː) /

verb -fers, -ferring or -ferred (often foll by to)

(intr) to make mention (of)

(tr) to direct the attention of (someone) for information, facts, etcthe 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 attributeCromwell referred his victories to God

(tr) to hand over for consideration, reconsideration, or decisionto refer a complaint to another department

(tr) to hand back to the originator as unacceptable or unusable

(tr) British to fail (a student) in an examination

(tr) British to send back (a thesis) to a student for improvement

refer to drawer 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

Derived forms of refer

referable (ˈrɛfərəbəl) or referrable (rɪˈfɜːrəbəl), adjectivereferral, nounreferrer, noun

Word Origin for refer

C14: from Latin referre to carry back, from re- + ferre to bear 1

usage for refer

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

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

refer

OTHER WORDS FOR refer

Origin of refer

OTHER WORDS FROM refer

Words related to refer

How to use refer in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for refer

Derived forms of refer

Word Origin for refer

usage for refer