referee
verb
refereed; refereeing
1
: to conduct (a match or game) as referee
2
a
: to arbitrate (something, such as a legal matter) as a judge or third party
b
: to review (something, such as a technical paper) before publication
: to act as a referee
Examples of referee in a Sentence
She refereed the basketball game.
He has refereed for several years now.
Recent Examples on the Web
Its scorecard overall suggests few clubs can blame refereeing errors for their final league placing, but the title race may have taken a different course.
—
Graham Scott, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Clark later walked over to referee Jason Alabanza and appeared to engage in a verbal spat.
—Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
Any Avs postseason game refereed by Kelly Sutherland automatically starts with one eyebrow raised.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 10 May 2026
His extracurriculars include refereeing youth soccer, volunteering at Feeding San Diego, tutoring students and being a Nighthawk Ambassador.
—Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for referee
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Graham Scott, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Clark later walked over to referee Jason Alabanza and appeared to engage in a verbal spat.
—Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
Any Avs postseason game refereed by Kelly Sutherland automatically starts with one eyebrow raised.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 10 May 2026
His extracurriculars include refereeing youth soccer, volunteering at Feeding San Diego, tutoring students and being a Nighthawk Ambassador.
—Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for referee
Cite this Entry
“Referee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/referee. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
referee
1 of 2 noun
ref·er·ee
ˌref-ə-ˈrē 
1
: a person to whom something that is to be investigated or decided is referred
2
: a sports official usually having final authority in conducting a game
referee
2 of 2 verb
refereed; refereeing
: to conduct as a referee
Legal Definition
referee
noun
ref·er·ee
ˌre-fə-ˈrē
: an officer appointed by a court or quasi-judicial body (as a workers' compensation board) to investigate a case, report findings, and often to make orders subject to review
the board may affirm, reverse, modify or supplement the order of the referee—Oregon Revised Statutes
Oregon Revised StatutesLove words? Need even more definitions?
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