referred; referring
1
a(1)
: to think of, regard, or classify within a general category or group
(2)
: to explain in terms of a general cause
b
: to allot to a particular place, stage, or period
c
: to regard as coming from or located in a specific area
2
a
: to send or direct for treatment, aid, information, or decision
refer a patient to a specialist
refer a bill back to a committee
b
: to direct for testimony or guaranty as to character or ability
1
a
: to have relation or connection : relate
b
: to direct attention usually by clear and specific mention
no one referred to yesterday's quarrel
2
: to have recourse : glance briefly
referred frequently to his notes while speaking
Examples of refer in a Sentence
How can doctors refer patients for treatment without examining them first?
Most of the patients we see here were referred by other doctors.
Recent Examples on the Web
If your results show elevated levels of alkaline phosphatase (one of the liver enzymes), your doctor may refer you to a hepatologist for further testing.
—
Brittany Risher, SELF, 6 Dec. 2024
However, Honea said there was no evidence of such a group existing and referred again to Litton’s history of mental health issues.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 5 Dec. 2024
In 2018, Philadelphia lawyer Jeffrey Rosenbaum sued claiming Morgan’s ads were misleading since the firm simply referred cases to local lawyers and Morgan himself wasn’t licensed in the state.
—Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
In a 206 to 198 vote, all but one Republican voted to refer Casten's resolution back to the Ethics Committee.
—Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Refer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refer. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
refer
verb
re·fer
ri-ˈfər 
referred; referring
1
: to explain in terms of a general cause
referred the defeat to poor training
2
: to go, send, or guide to some person or place for treatment, help, advice, or information
refer them to a dictionary
refer a patient to a specialist
refer to the dictionary for the meaning of a word
3
: to have relationship : relate
the asterisk refers to a footnote
4
: to call attention : make reference
no one referred to yesterday's quarrel
Etymology
Middle English referren, referen "to think of or place in a certain relationship, make a connection with in the mind," derived from Latin referre, literally, "to carry back," from re- "back, again" and ferre "to bear, carry, yield" — related to defer entry 1, offer
Medical Definition
refer
transitive verb
re·fer
ri-ˈfər
referred; referring
1
: to regard as coming from or localized in a certain portion of the body or of space
pain of appendicitis may be referred to any region of the abdomen—Encyclopedia Americana
2
: to send or direct for diagnosis or treatment
refer a patient to a specialist
Legal Definition
refer
transitive verb
re·fer
ri-ˈfər
referred; referring
: to send or direct for treatment, aid, service, information, or decision
referred the debtor to an attorney with expertise in bankruptcy
specifically
: commit sense 1c
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