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

Van Cleve and Rendel have since seen referrals shift from Ostaszewski to Facebook and, more recently, to Reddit. —Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026

The docket notes a referral to a Family Relations Officer. —Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026

The owner allegedly billed Medicare for hospice services for patients who were not terminally ill and paid kickbacks for the referral of patients, according to prosecutors. —Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026

Insight’s been building patient-facing AI assistants that take in referrals, reach out to patients and collect clinical history, and schedule low-risk, routine procedures. —Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 3 Apr. 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
• sural

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