refer

To mention someone or something when speaking or writing.

• Please refer to my earlier message.
• She referred to him several times in her speech.
• Were you referring to the old plan?

How to use it: refer to someone/something (The speaker referred to a recent study.)

Similar words: mention, allude to

Common phrases: refer to someone, refer to something, refer back to

To look at a book, document, or other source to find information.

• Refer to the map.
• I referred to my notes before answering.
• You can refer to the guide for more details.

How to use it: refer to something for something (Refer to the manual for cleaning instructions.)

Similar words: consult, check

Common phrases: refer to something, refer to notes, refer to instructions

To be about, mean, or point to a particular person or thing.

• These figures refer to last year.
• The name refers to a local river.
• Who does this pronoun refer to?

How to use it: refer to someone/something (The word 'they' refers to the children.)

Similar words: denote, relate to, mean

Common phrases: refer to someone, refer to something

To send someone or something to another person or place for help, information, or a decision.

• They referred me to another office.
• The doctor referred the patient to a specialist.
• We will refer your complaint to the manager.

How to use it: refer someone/something to someone/something (The doctor referred me to a specialist.)

Similar words: direct, send on

Common phrases: refer someone to, refer something to, refer a matter, refer a case

To decide that something belongs to a particular group or comes from a particular cause or source.

• They referred the illness to poor diet.
• The scholar referred the text to an earlier period.
• These examples can be referred to the same class.

How to use it: refer something to something (The researcher referred the changes to a single underlying cause.)

Similar words: attribute, assign, ascribe

Common phrases: refer something to, refer to a cause