refer to

verb

referred to; referring to; refers to

1

: to look at or in (something) for information

She often refers to her notes when giving a speech.

Please refer to our website for more information.

2

: to have a direct connection or relationship to (something)

The word "finch" refers to a kind of bird.

The numbers shown in the text refer to footnotes at the bottom of the page.

3

: to talk about or write about (someone or something) especially briefly : to mention (someone or something) in speech or in writing

No one referred to the incident.

Examples of refer to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Immigrants have launched an invasion against the United States, despite the word invasion typically being used to refer to a nation-state. —Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026

The statement did not say how old the abducted schoolchildren are but the term ‘pupil’ in Nigeria usually refers to someone in kindergarten or primary school, typically covering ages up to 12. —ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026

For more information, please refer to Northrop Grumman for HALO and ESA for Lunar I-HAB. —Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 27 Apr. 2026

Eve’s case was referred to the agency just a week before her death while Mimi’s family was initially involved at her birth. —Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2026

Rhymes for refer to

• amadou
• avenue
• ballyhoo
• baraboo
• barbecue
• barbeque
• bugaboo
• cabildo
• caribou
• cockatoo
• detinue
• devalue