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

Customer referrals, review quality, repeat recommendations, employee participation on professional networks, community engagement and qualitative feedback all provide a clearer picture of whether trust is actually being built. — Janita Pannu, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

The written warning, which Conklin shared with the Statesman, said the employee violated the Code of Conduct by not informing the patient’s surgeon of the request for a second opinion and plan to provide a referral. — Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 16 July 2026

Meals on Wheels referrals, pantry connections, SNAP enrollment support — the clinical and the logistical blur into each other because food insecurity doesn’t really stop at the point of discharge. — Cole Hanson, STAT, 16 July 2026

Professionals may be identified through editorial research, referrals, applications, or direct outreach by the Notable Men team, including through LinkedIn. — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 16 July 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