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

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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. 2022

How to use refer in a sentence

Numbers and images speak better than words, so let’s refer to images here.
Crowd Marketing: Fears, perks and a comprehensive Guide|Sponsored Content: Natural Links|November 20, 2020|Search Engine Land
The above mentioned Competitive Research tool immediately shows you any website’s Domain Trust and Page Trust along with the number of its referring domains and backlinks.
Analyzing competition with SE Ranking tools|Sponsored Content: SE Ranking|November 19, 2020|Search Engine Land
When she took office, Republicans ended a 400-year tradition of referring to each other as “gentlemen” and “gentlewomen” and changed it to address themselves as only “delegates” to avoid acknowledging Roem’s gender.
Danica Roem seeks third term in Va. House|Parker Purifoy|November 12, 2020|Washington Blade
Your hair's density refers to how many hairs you have on your head.
Hints From Heloise: Help food banks get through the holidays|Heloise Heloise|November 10, 2020|Washington Post

On our hikes, however, he’s getting to spend time with what Inman refers to as his “idea-mates,” helping to satisfy his curiosity.
A Parent's Guide to Hiking with a Chatterbox|Ryan Van Bibber|November 7, 2020|Outside Online

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