referral

noun

re·​fer·​ral ri-ˈfər-əl 

1

: the act, action, or an instance of referring

gave the patient a referral to a specialist

2

: one that is referred

Examples of referral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One of the first steps to finding the right financial advisor could be referrals from your colleagues, friends or family. — Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea,kelli Grant, Cfp®, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026

Cuba has no standard procedure to identify victims and no national referral mechanism. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026

In Europe, the Middle East and Africa, employee referrals have risen 13% since 2024. — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026

Students with disabilities made up about 14% of the district’s enrollment, the complaint also said, but accounted for nearly a quarter of discipline referrals. — Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing referral

• self-referral

Rhymes for referral

• deferral
• epidural
• postdoctoral
• predoctoral
• neral
• squirrel

Kids Definition

referral

noun

re·​fer·​ral ri-ˈfər-əl 

: the act or an instance of referring

Medical Definition

referral

noun

re·​fer·​ral ri-ˈfər-əl 

1

: the process of directing or redirecting (as a medical case or a patient) to an appropriate specialist or agency for definitive treatment

2

: an individual that is referred

Legal Definition

referral

noun

re·​fer·​ral ri-ˈfər-əl 

: the act or an instance of referring

appealed the referral of the bill to the Budget Committee