referral

noun

re·​fer·​ral ri-ˈfər-əl 

1

: the act, action, or an instance of referring

gave the patient a referral to a specialist

2

: one that is referred

Examples of referral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

McGee built from relationships and referrals. —Alejandra Rojas, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026

Strengthen your employee referral program Your current employees with niche expertise tend to know other people with that same niche expertise. —Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 19 May 2026

Finding the diagnosis, however, involved months of referrals, waitlists and dead ends. —Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 17 May 2026

Patients can consult their primary care physician for referrals to genetic counselors. —Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 15 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing referral

• self-referral

Rhymes for referral

• deferral
• epidural
• postdoctoral
• predoctoral
• neral
• squirrel

Kids Definition

referral

noun

re·​fer·​ral ri-ˈfər-əl 

: the act or an instance of referring

Medical Definition

referral

noun

re·​fer·​ral ri-ˈfər-əl 

1

: the process of directing or redirecting (as a medical case or a patient) to an appropriate specialist or agency for definitive treatment

2

: an individual that is referred

Legal Definition

referral

noun

re·​fer·​ral ri-ˈfər-əl 

: the act or an instance of referring

appealed the referral of the bill to the Budget Committee