referral
noun
re·fer·ral
ri-ˈfər-əl 
Examples of referral in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The committee sent a criminal referral to the Justice Department that could add charges to an existing federal indictment against Mr. Santos for conspiracy and fraud.
—
The Editorial Board, WSJ, 16 Nov. 2023
When teachers do make a referral for special education services, there's often still a question of how—and whether—to make a learning disability determination.
—Sarah Carr, Scientific American, 10 Nov. 2023
That model offers little incentive to provide referrals or other care for patients.
—Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 2 Nov. 2023
Candidates with an internal referral, on the other hand, were least likely to be ghosted.
—Jane Thier, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2023
That steep drop outpaces an industry-wide slowdown in referrals to top news sites from X and Facebook this year, according to industry data from the analytics firm Similarweb first reported by Axios.
—Drew Harwell, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2023
But the notice also states the family will not be able to appeal the referral to an alternative school.
—Chandelis Duster, CNN, 11 Oct. 2023
Don't hesitate to ask your healthcare provider for a referral to a diabetes educator or nutritionist.
—Debra Manzella, Verywell Health, 21 Oct. 2023
Asked whether any such effort might be underway to better coordinate referrals and transportation, the California Health and Human Services Agency referred questions to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which did not respond to a request for comment made Thursday.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Sep. 2023
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The Editorial Board, WSJ, 16 Nov. 2023
When teachers do make a referral for special education services, there's often still a question of how—and whether—to make a learning disability determination.
—Sarah Carr, Scientific American, 10 Nov. 2023
That model offers little incentive to provide referrals or other care for patients.
—Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 2 Nov. 2023
Candidates with an internal referral, on the other hand, were least likely to be ghosted.
—Jane Thier, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2023
That steep drop outpaces an industry-wide slowdown in referrals to top news sites from X and Facebook this year, according to industry data from the analytics firm Similarweb first reported by Axios.
—Drew Harwell, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2023
But the notice also states the family will not be able to appeal the referral to an alternative school.
—Chandelis Duster, CNN, 11 Oct. 2023
Don't hesitate to ask your healthcare provider for a referral to a diabetes educator or nutritionist.
—Debra Manzella, Verywell Health, 21 Oct. 2023
Asked whether any such effort might be underway to better coordinate referrals and transportation, the California Health and Human Services Agency referred questions to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which did not respond to a request for comment made Thursday.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'referral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1927, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing referral
Dictionary Entries Near referral
Cite this Entry
“Referral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/referral. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
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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
More from Merriam-Webster on referral
Nglish: Translation of referral for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of referral for Arabic Speakers
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