refer

[ ri-fur ]

/ rɪˈfɜr /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR refer 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.

Nearby words

Origin of refer

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

SYNONYMS FOR refer

4. attribute, ascribe, impute. 5. pertain, belong. 8. advert, allude.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR refer ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for referred

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
Instead, she is left with the option to go to vocational school, or what is referred to as lycée professionnel in France.
‘Girlhood’: Coming of Age in France’s Projects|Molly Hannon|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST

He met twice with Pope Francis and referred to the pontiff as a role model.
Mexico’s Holy Warrior Against the Cartels|Jason McGahan|November 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Thus my memory was really correct; I had merely forgotten the experience to which it referred.
Criminal Psychology|Hans Gross
The Samuel Tompson referred to in the following entry seems to have been the son of the deacon, and was born Nov. 6, 1662.
Some Phases of Sexual Morality and Church Discipline in Colonial New England|Charles Francis Adams
Certain public officials, not specifically alluded to by name, were referred to as fools and sycophants.
The Story of the Upper Canada Rebellion, Volume 1|John Charles Dent
The including of them may now be referred to the object of direct taxes, and incidentally only to that representation.
The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Part 3 of 4|American Anti-Slavery Society
That Thule is often referred to as an island by later authors is of little weight.
In Northern Mists (Volume 1 of 2)|Fridtjof Nansen

British Dictionary definitions for referred

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 Formsreferable (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

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

Word Origin and History for referred

refer

late 14c., "to trace back (to a first cause), attribute, assign," from Old French referer (14c.) and directly from Latin referre "to relate, refer," literally "to carry back," from re- "back" (see re-) + ferre "carry" (see infer). Meaning "to commit to some authority for a decision" is from mid-15c.; sense of "to direct (someone) to a book, etc." is from c.1600. Related: Referred; referring.