Refer

To mention or allude to someone or something as a source of information, example, or support, To direct someone to a particular source of information, person, or place for help or advice, To be connected with or related to something, To mention someone or something in passing or casually

Refer - Meanings

To mention or allude to someone or something as a source of information, example, or support

Example: She referred to the textbook for more information on the topic.

Usage: formalContext: academic or professional settings

Note: Commonly used in research papers, presentations, and formal discussions.

To direct someone to a particular source of information, person, or place for help or advice

Example: The librarian referred the student to a book that could help with their research.

Usage: formalContext: professional or educational settings

Note: Common in customer service, academic advising, and healthcare.

To be connected with or related to something

Example: The new policy refers to all employees, not just the managers.

Usage: formalContext: legal or official documents

Note: Used in contracts, laws, and regulations to indicate specific sections or clauses.

To mention someone or something in passing or casually

Example: She referred to her vacation plans during the meeting.

Usage: informalContext: casual conversations

Note: Often used in social interactions or informal discussions.

Refer's synonyms

mention

To refer to something briefly or in passing.

Example: She mentioned her favorite book during the conversation.

Note: Mention is more casual and less formal than refer.

cite

To refer to a source or authority to support an argument or statement.

Example: The author cited several sources in the research paper.

Note: Cite specifically implies giving credit or acknowledgment to a source.

allude

To refer indirectly or suggestively to something.

Example: He alluded to his difficult childhood but didn't elaborate.

Note: Allude is more subtle and implies hinting at something without explicitly stating it.

point to

To indicate or suggest something as evidence or support.

Example: The data points to a clear trend in consumer behavior.

Note: Point to is more direct and emphasizes indicating a specific piece of evidence or information.

direct to

To instruct or guide someone to a specific place or person for information or assistance.

Example: Please direct any further questions to our customer service department.

Note: Direct to is more about guiding or instructing towards a specific destination or resource.

Refer expressions, common phrases

Refer to

To direct someone to a particular source of information or person for assistance or guidance.

Example: Can you please refer to the manual for instructions on how to assemble the furniture?

Note: The phrase 'refer to' specifically indicates directing someone to a source or person for information, rather than just mentioning or alluding to something.

Reference

A mention or citation of a source of information or a person who can provide information.

Example: Please include a list of references at the end of your research paper.

Note: While 'refer' implies directing someone to a source, 'reference' is the act of mentioning or citing that source.

Referred by

To be recommended or directed to something or someone by another person.

Example: I was referred by a friend to this amazing restaurant.

Note: This phrase emphasizes the action of being recommended or directed by someone else.

Referendum

A general vote by the electorate on a single political question that has been referred to them for a direct decision.

Example: The government held a referendum to let the citizens decide on the new law.

Note: In this context, 'referendum' is a formal process of referring a specific issue to the public for a decision.

Referral

The act of sending or directing someone to another person or place for assistance or information.

Example: The doctor gave me a referral to see a specialist for further treatment.

Note: 'Referral' is the action of sending someone to another source or person for specific help or services.

With reference to

Used to introduce a topic or subject that relates to something previously mentioned or discussed.

Example: With reference to your email, I would like to clarify a few points.

Note: This phrase is a formal way of indicating that the following discussion is related to or based on something previously mentioned.

Referring to

To mention or allude to something in speech or writing.

Example: He kept referring to his notes during the presentation.

Note: This phrase indicates mentioning or making allusions to something within the context of a conversation or text.

Refer everyday (slang) expressions

Ref

Used informally to mean recommending or directing someone to something.

Example: I'll ref you to the best sushi restaurant in town.

Note: Shortened informal version of 'refer'.

Referencing

Referring to or mentioning something in conversation or discussion.

Example: She's referencing that movie we watched last week.

Note: Used as a verb to indicate the act of mentioning or alluding to something.

Ref'd

Informal past tense form of 'referred'.

Example: I ref'd him to the job posting.

Note: Casual abbreviation used in spoken language.

Refer back

To check or return to a previous point or discussion for further information.

Example: Let's refer back to our previous conversation for clarification.

Note: A more informal way of saying 'returning to a previous point for reference'.

Recommending

Expressing approval or support for something and suggesting it to others.

Example: I'm recommending this book to everyone I know.

Note: While 'recommend' is synonymous with 'refer', 'recommending' is a more colloquial form.

Referring

Indicating or alluding to something mentioned before.

Example: He keeps referring to that incident as a turning point in his life.

Note: Used as a verb form of 'refer', commonly in conversational language.

Refer - Examples

I referred to the book several times during my presentation.

She referred me to a specialist for my medical condition.

The speaker referred to the recent political events in his speech.

Refer grammar

Refer - Verb (Verb) / Verb, non-3rd person singular present (Verb, non-3rd person singular present)

Lemma: refer

Conjugations

Verb, past tense (Verb, past tense): referred, refered

Verb, gerund or present participle (Verb, gerund or present participle): referring, refering

Verb, 3rd person singular present (Verb, 3rd person singular present): refers

Verb, base form (Verb, base form): refer

Verb, non-3rd person singular present (Verb, non-3rd person singular present): refer

Syllabification and Stress

refer Contains 2 syllables: re • fer

Phonetic transcription: ri-ˈfər

re fer , ri ˈfər (The red syllable is stressed)

Refer - Importance and usage frequency

The word frequency and importance index indicates how often a word appears in a given language. The smaller the number, the more frequently the word is used. The most frequently used words typically range from about 1 to 4000.

refer: 700 - 800 (Extremely common).

This importance index helps you focus on the most useful words during your language learning process.

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