ENGLISH
REFERENCE

referring

v.
B1 Intermediate US //ɹɪˈfɝɪŋ// UK //ɹɪfˈɜːɹɪŋ// re·fer·ring

v. mentioning someone or something when you speak or write. You use this to point your listener toward a specific person, place, or idea.

v. mentioning or alluding to a person, place, or thing to direct attention to it. Often used to indicate the source of information or the subject of a discussion.


SIMPLE

She is referring to the book we read yesterday.

CONTEXTUAL

When the manager spoke about 'recent changes', he was actually referring to the new office rules.

COMPLEX

The speaker kept referring to his notes throughout the presentation to ensure he did not omit any of the technical data required by the board.

Synonyms
Usage

The verb is intransitive and requires the preposition 'to' before the object.

Pitfall

He is referring the problem.He is referring to the problem.The verb must be followed by the preposition 'to' when mentioning a subject.

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