referee

1 of 2

noun

ref·​er·​ee ˌre-fə-ˈrē 

1

: one to whom a thing is referred: such as

a

: a person to whom a legal matter is referred for investigation and report or for settlement

b

: a person who reviews a paper and especially a technical paper and recommends that it should or should not be published

c

chiefly British : reference sense 4a

2

: a sports official usually having final authority in administering a game

referee

2 of 2

verb

refereed; refereeing

transitive verb

1

: to conduct (a match or game) as referee

2

a

: to arbitrate (something, such as a legal matter) as a judge or third party

b

: to review (something, such as a technical paper) before publication

intransitive verb

: to act as a referee

Synonyms

Noun

• adjudicator
• arbiter
• arbitrator
• judge
• umpire

Verb

• adjudge
• adjudicate
• arbitrate
• decide
• determine
• judge
• rule (on)
• settle
• umpire

Examples of referee in a Sentence

Noun

served as the unofficial referee in disputes over the family business

Verb

She refereed the basketball game.

He has refereed for several years now.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

So does the Senate parliamentarian, a sort of referee over what Congress can and can't do according to its own rules. —Camila Domonoske, NPR, 1 May 2025

No shame in falling to Celtics, but no more settling either Orlando’s Vietnamese community began 50 years ago, after Saigon fell Former Windermere High basketball coach charged with battery in attack of referee Central Florida homeowners beat their developer’s ‘club fees’ in court. —Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2025

Verb

In a typical court case, the judge is a neutral arbiter who referees a dispute between a plaintiff and a defendant and then either reaches a decision or instructs a jury. —Henry Gass, Christian Science Monitor, 30 Apr. 2025

Former Premier League referees Lee Mason and Phil Dowd were invited along to monitor performances and lead feedback sessions afterwards. —Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1883, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for referee

• agree
• allee
• banshee
• beastly
• bibi
• bowsprit
• carefree
• cerci
• chablis
• cowpea
• crappie
• crappy

Kids Definition

referee

1 of 2 noun

ref·​er·​ee ˌref-ə-ˈrē 

1

: a person to whom something that is to be investigated or decided is referred

2

: a sports official usually having final authority in conducting a game

referee

2 of 2 verb

refereed; refereeing

: to conduct as a referee

Legal Definition

referee

noun

ref·​er·​ee ˌre-fə-ˈrē 

: an officer appointed by a court or quasi-judicial body (as a workers' compensation board) to investigate a case, report findings, and often to make orders subject to review

the board may affirm, reverse, modify or supplement the order of the referee

—Oregon Revised Statutes