referral

[ri-fur-uhl]

noun

1. an act of referring; the state of being referred.

2. an instance of referring.

3. a person recommended to someone or for something.

Word History and Origins

Origin of referral¹

First recorded in 1930–35; refer + -al ²

Example Sentences

These services include psychological treatment, legal advocacy and referral and a team of on-call, volunteer advocates—the core of the operation—who ensure survivors’ interactions with law enforcement and hospital staff go smoothly.

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When the money runs out, they kick the patients out without support or referrals, regardless of whether or not they’ve recovered—a practice known as “patient dumping” or “curbing.”

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Most of the new membership clubs require little more than filling out an application, or sometimes a referral from existing members.

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Many Advantage plans are HMOs with limited networks of participating doctors that restrict patients’ choices and require referrals to see specialists.

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"We're taking the pressure off the GPs by taking care of minor eye conditions and we're taking pressure off the ophthalmology hospital clinics because they're not filled with unnecessary referrals," he said.

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Related Words

• barometer 
• criterion 
• frame of reference 
• touchstone 
• yardstick