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refer Definition

re·fer (ri fʉr′)

transitive verb -·ferred′, -·fer′·ring

  1. to assign or attribute (to) as cause or origin
  2. to assign, or regard or name as belonging (to a kind, class, date, etc.)
  3. to submit (a quarrel, question, etc.) for determination or settlement
  4. to send or direct (someone) to someone or something for aid, information, etc.

Etymology: ME referren < MFr referer < L referre < re-, back + ferre, to bear

intransitive verb

  1. to relate or apply (to); be concerned or deal
  2. to direct attention, or make reference or allusion (to) to refer to an earlier event
  3. to turn for information, aid, or authority (to) to refer to a map

refer Related Forms
ref·er·able (ref′ər ə bəl, ri fʉr′-) adjective or re·fer′·ra·ble or re·fer′·ri·ble re·fer′·rer noun
refer Synonyms

refer

v.

  1. To concern

    regard, relate, have relation, have to do with, apply, be about, answer to, involve, connect, be a matter of, have a bearing on, correspond with, bear upon, comprise, include, belong, pertain, have reference, take in, cover, appertain, point, hold, encompass, incorporate, touch, deal with; see also concern 1.

  2. To mention

    allude to, bring up, direct a remark, make reference to, make an allusion to, advert, ascribe, direct attention to, call attention to, attribute, cite, quote, hint at, point out, point to, note, notice, indicate, speak about, suggest, touch on, give as an example, associate, adduce, exemplify, instance, excerpt, extract; see also mention.

  3. To direct

    send to, put in touch with, transfer, relegate, commit, submit to, assign, give a recommendation to, introduce; see also designate 1, lead 1.

refer implies deliberate, direct, and open mention of something he referred in detail to their corrupt practices; allude implies indirect, often casual mention, as by a hint or a figure of speech although she used different names, she was alluding to her family

refer Usage Examples

Object

  • matter: On this occasion, MSA referred the matter directly to the CMA.
  • dispute: The notifying Party refers the dispute to the Adjudicator within seven days of the notice.
  • patient: However, most referred patients did not see a physician.
  • complaint: There is no need to refer a complaint through a Member of the European Parliament.
  • reader: We would refer any reader seriously investigating these possibilities to ask him for a reprint.
  • case: On 22 January the Member referred the case to the Ombudsman.

Subject

  • GP: Patients can be referred by GPs to any of the four consultants.

Modifying Another Word

  • sometimes: Myosin II, the form found in skeletal muscle, is sometimes referred to a conventional myosin.
  • hereinafter: Tours are designed and planned by CTC members, hereinafter referred to as the leader, on behalf of the company.
  • commonly: The term ' e-Science ' commonly refers to large-scale scientific collaborations carried out over t.. .
  • often: This occurs as cubic crystals of what is often referred to as Fool's Gold.
  • specifically: It refers specifically to: Regional affiliation: Scottish dialect; lift versus elevator.
  • hereafter: These children were assessed at ages 4 and 6 years and are hereafter referred to as the longitudinal sample.

Infinitive complement

  • the: This is one of the defining aspects of the sacrament I'm referring to the sacrifice of the Mass.
  • will: Once this confusion has been cleared up then maybe the poster you refer to will seem perfectly sober.

Preposition: in

  • instance: Any dispute regarding the assignment of student IPR will be referred in the first instance to the Student IP Committee.

Preposition: for

  • assessment: In the 32 months to June 1995, 43 patients with alcoholic liver disease were referred for assessment for liver transplantation.
  • treatment: The real issue for the injury compensation claim is what would have happened if the patient had been referred for treatment straight away.
  • resolution: Where this is not possible at local level it should be referred for resolution within the Directorate Procedure.

Preposition: by

  • GP: Patients can be referred by GPs to any of the four consultants.
refer Quotes

Rule1: Be cautious, careful and when in doubt, keep your mouth shut. Rule 2: When tempted to say something, take a deep breath and refer to Rule1.

—Ito, Lance Allan