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

Her doctor had given her a referral for an infertility specialist. — Sarah Elizabeth Richards, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026

Costco is finding success from artificial intelligence referrals, which could help with the younger audience. — Zev Fima, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026

Compared to the rapidly declining number of referrals from traditional search engines — which once numbered in the tens of millions — these AI clicks are a tiny drop in the bucket. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 24 Sep. 2026

Better characterization can give radiologists greater confidence to escalate suspicious findings to PET/CT, biopsy or specialist referral rather than risking growth during surveillance. — Oran Muduroglu, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 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