refer

[ ri-fur ]

/ rɪˈfɜr /

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

Definition of refer

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

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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

Fierce referred The Washington Post to Apple’s public relations team.
Apple is lobbying against a bill aimed at stopping forced labor in China|Reed Albergotti|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Asked why Hogan’s administration agreed to pay the labs the same fee when the state also had to provide the test kit, Ricci referred The Post to health officials.
Hogan’s first batch of coronavirus tests from South Korea were flawed, never used|Steve Thompson|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
When asked how the virus may have entered the facility, Rice referred to research showing that high levels of community spread can often lead to nursing home outbreaks.
Maryland and Virginia nursing homes battle explosive covid-19 outbreaks — again|Rebecca Tan, Rachel Chason|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
You only have to hear how television executives refer to games — above all else they are “inventory” — to understand exactly why these contests are being staged.
College football has been battered by covid. What’s most startling is our acceptance.|Barry Svrluga|November 20, 2020|Washington Post

The ProPublica investigation this year documented just such a crash on New York’s Long Island in 2016 that left Jillian Brown with an injury medical journals refer to as “internal decapitation.”
House Subcommittee Says Proposed Booster Seat Safety Rules Fall Short|by Patricia Callahan|November 19, 2020|ProPublica
Hell, he says Koenig never referred to it as Serial or even as a podcast.
The Deal With Serial’s Jay? He’s Pissed Off, Mucks Up Our Timeline|Emily Shire|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To the ROK and U.S. soldiers stationed in the JSA, it is unironically referred to as Freedom Village.
Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea|Rich Goldstein|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The NRA opposes him because he referred to gun violence as a “public-health crisis.”
The Gun Battle Since Newtown|Cliff Schecter|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Dressed in golden garments, Perrers was referred to as "The Lady of the Sun" by the king.
The Sex Life of King Richard III's Randy Great Great Great Grandfather|Tom Sykes|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And the media, meanwhile, has referred to her as every label under the sun, from “a man” to “transsexual.”
Exclusive: Michael Phelps’s Intersex Self-Proclaimed Girlfriend, Taylor Lianne Chandler, Tells All|Aurora Snow|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The reader is referred to larger works upon urinalysis for details.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
It is not, however, the incident in itself that is now referred to, but only the formality ascribed to it in the narrative.
Solomon and Solomonic Literature|Moncure Daniel Conway
The Minister pointed out to them the attendant difficulties, and referred them to the Prime Minister.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
For over 300 years the country slumbered in ignorance of all that referred to its rights and political liberties.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
On the occasion referred to, some of our men, in their burrowing, threw out a considerable quantity of asbestos.
Asbestos|Robert H. Jones

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

Definition of 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