Meaning & use
refer to
Last updated
Meanings
verbphrasal verb
To mention someone or something while speaking or writing.
Grammar: Takes an object after to: she referred to the report.
Patterns
- refer to something
- refer to someone as something
She referred to her notes several times during the talk.
The article refers to a study from last year.
He never referred to the argument again.
verbphrasal verb
To look at something such as a book or map to find information.
Grammar: Used with sources: refer to a dictionary.
Patterns
- refer to something
Please refer to the manual if the device stops working.
Students may refer to their notes during the test.
Refer to page ten for the full instructions.
verbphrasal verb
To be about or relate to a particular person, thing or idea.
Grammar: Subject is a word or rule: the word refers to a person.
Patterns
- something refers to something
The term refers to any animal that eats plants.
The red light refers to a low battery.
This rule refers only to new employees.
Word forms
| third person singular | refers to |
|---|---|
| past tense | referred to |
| past participle | referred to |
| -ing form | referring to |
Common combinations
- refer to as
- Locals refer to the hill as the Hump.
- refer to a dictionary
- If you're unsure, refer to a dictionary.
- refer to the manual
- Refer to the manual for setup steps.
- refer to someone by name
- She never referred to him by name.
- directly refer to
- The speaker did not directly refer to the scandal.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mention
- Mention is simpler and takes a direct object, while refer to can indicate a brief or indirect reference.
- consult
- Consult means seeking advice or information from a source, which matches only the second sense of refer to.
- allude to
- Allude to is more formal and suggests mentioning something indirectly.
Word family
Commonly confused: refer to or defer to?
refer to vs defer to
Defer to means to yield to someone's judgment, while refer to means to mention or consult.
Practice
Writers often ___ a dictionary when they are unsure how to spell a word.
Choose one answer.
Refer to means to consult a source; defer to means to yield to someone, and prefer to and infer to are not correct here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “refer to”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.