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: a person who reviews a paper and especially a technical paper and recommends that it should or should not be published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
refereed; refereeing
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
: to act as a referee
Synonyms
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
Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 26 Nov. 2024
The referees ultimately put one second back on the clock, giving BYU possession and requiring the goal posts to go back up.
—Doug Haller, The Athletic, 23 Nov. 2024
James L. Edwards Iii, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024
Moyer-Gleich will soon become only the second woman in NBA history to referee a playoff game.
—Tim Reynolds, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for referee 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
While coach Dan Hurley – livid with a blocking foul called against Liam McNeeley – made his typical sideline scene and let the referee hear it, the technical was assessed elsewhere.
—Verb
Too many coaches want to referee the entire game instead of coaching their team.
—Dictionary Entries Near referee
Cite this Entry
“Referee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/referee. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share