SINCE 1828
refer
verb
re·fer
| \ ri-ˈfər
\
\
referred;
referring
Definition of refer
1a(1)
: to think of, regard, or classify within a general category or group
(2)
: to explain in terms of a general cause
b
: to allot to a particular place, stage, or period
c
: to regard as coming from or located in a specific area
2a
: to send or direct for treatment, aid, information, or decision
refer a patient to a specialist refer a bill back to a committee
b
: to direct for testimony or guaranty as to character or ability
1a
: to have relation or connection : relate
b
: to direct attention usually by clear and specific mention
no one referred to yesterday's quarrel
2
: to have recourse : glance briefly
referred frequently to his notes while speaking
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Other Words from refer
referable
\ ˈre-f(ə-)rə-bəl
, ri-ˈfər-ə-
\
adjective
, ri-ˈfər-ə-
\
adjective
referrer
\ ri-ˈfər-ər
\
noun
\
noun
Examples of refer in a Sentence
How can doctors refer patients for treatment without examining them first?
Most of the patients we see here were referred by other doctors.
Recent Examples on the Web
The fight is over which hospitals can get paid by the federal government to perform the procedure, often referred to as TAVR, for transcatheter aortic valve replacement. — Peter Loftus, WSJ, "Smaller Hospitals Press for Chance to Offer Heart-Valve Procedure," 16 Mar. 2019 The Times reported that the manifesto contained white nationalist rhetoric and the author referred to themself as a fascist. — Lucy Diavolo, Teen Vogue, "Mosque Shooting Attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, Resulted in Dozens of Deaths," 15 Mar. 2019 Modi in his remarks to reporters referred to the attack and said steps would be taken to punish the perpetrators and their supporters. — Ashok Sharma, The Seattle Times, "Saudi crown prince backs India’s fight against terrorism," 20 Feb. 2019 James Sharp Brodsky and Philip McCarty, who Fondas lovingly refers to as Jim and Phil—who instantly knew the closet could be more. — Amanda Sims, House Beautiful, "This Gorgeous Home Bar Used to Be a Dinky Closet," 11 Feb. 2019 Near the tram at the base area, JHMR’s newest après spot, RPK 3 (a wink to the acronym that refers to the snowfall forecast for powder day), opens this month, serving comfort food around a roaring fireplace. — Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, "If You're Skiing the Rockies This Winter, Read This First," 4 Dec. 2018 The Pentagon has refused to provide an estimate of the number of U.S. service members currently in Syria and refers to them as troops, not peacekeepers. — Nancy A. Youssef, WSJ, "U.S. Allies Spurred a Partial Reversal of Trump’s Syria Withdrawal Plan, Official Says," 23 Feb. 2019 Often referred to as the golden fiber because of its silky nature, it's primarily found in Bangladesh and India. — Monique Valeris, ELLE Decor, "What is a Jute Rug?," 20 Feb. 2019 David Ryder / Getty Images Amazon is in advanced talks about putting Amazon’s second headquarters, commonly referred to as HQ2, in the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington County, Virginia, according to the Washington Post. — Rani Molla, Recode, "What we know about Amazon’s potential new Virginia HQ2 location," 3 Nov. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'refer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for refer
refer
verb
English Language Learners Definition of refer
: to send (someone or something) to a particular person or place for treatment, help, advice, etc.
See the full definition for refer in the English Language Learners Dictionary
refer
verb
re·fer
| \ ri-ˈfər
\
\
referred;
referring
Kids Definition of refer
1
: to look at for information
She kept referring to her notes.
2
: to send or direct to some person or place for treatment, aid, information, or decision
The patient was referred to a specialist.
3
: to call attention
Jeremy wondered what had possessed him to refer to Prince Brat as his friend.— Sid Fleischman, The Whipping Boy
4
: to mention (something) in talking or writing
refer
transitive verb
re·fer
| \ ri-ˈfər
\
\
referred;
referring
Medical Definition of refer
1
: to regard as coming from or localized in a certain portion of the body or of space
pain of appendicitis may be referred to any region of the abdomen — Encyclopedia Americana
2
: to send or direct for diagnosis or treatment
refer a patient to a specialist
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refer
transitive verb
re·fer
| \ ri-ˈfər
\
\
referred;
referring
Legal Definition of refer
: to send or direct for treatment, aid, service, information, or decision
referred the debtor to an attorney with expertise in bankruptcy
specifically
: commit sense 1c
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Comments on refer
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