referee

1 of 2

noun

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: a person who reviews a paper and especially a technical paper and recommends that it should or should not be published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

referee

2 of 2

verb

refereed; refereeing

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: to act as a referee

Synonyms of referee

Noun

• umpire
• judge

Verb

• decide
• judge
• settle
• determine
• umpire
• adjudicate
• arbitrate

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

Noun

Bruce Arians, who won the Super Bowl alongside Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the team’s head coach in 2021, knows that things can get heated with referees on game days. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Obscenities, the referee’s whistle, and the thud of boots into balls—and sometimes shins—easily carry across these desolate fields. — Vanda Mayer, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026

Verb

That Sunderland-Arsenal game was played at a physical intensity that was thrilling for spectators but which looked extremely difficult to referee, hence the number of grievances on both sides. — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Following the game, coach Jose Mourinho’s sharp comments on the refereeing decisions got lapped up on social media this week, and all eyes will now be on how Madrid bounce back against Inter. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1883, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for referee

• agree
• allee
• banshee
• beastly
• bibi
• bowsprit
• carefree
• cerci
• chablis
• cowpea
• crappie
• crappy

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