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Synonyms

referral

American  
[ri-fur-uhl] / rɪˈfɜr əl /

noun

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

  2. an instance of referring.

  3. a person recommended to someone or for something.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of referral

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

Explanation

A referral sends someone somewhere, often for help or advice. You'll need a referral from your doctor in order to see a specialist. You could also receive a referral for a job, if someone passes along your application. If you're dealing with a big company or institution, you might get tired of the endless referrals from one department to another. Remember that referral has two r's in the middle, “rr,” like a growl.

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Vocabulary lists containing referral

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.

She said she felt the decision by the National Referral Mechanism was "a validation and a vindication of what I said to the Met when I first reported back in 2024".

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

Referral traffic to brand and retail websites from generative-AI sources such as ChatGPT and Perplexity rose 1,200% just in October compared with the year-ago period.

From Barron's • Nov. 26, 2025

Some of these features are already available on the NHS app and a website Manage Your Referral.

From BBC • Jan. 4, 2025

Dr. Owen Menach, who is on staff at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in the city of Eldoret, confirmed Cheptegei's death via multiple organ failure to the New York Times.

From Salon • Sep. 5, 2024

Other students had lived there; the hippie lived there himself; a receptionist at the Student Referral Office had told me about it.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

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