# referring

/ɹɪˈfɝɪŋ/ (US) · /ɹɪfˈɜːɹɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/referring
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. mentioning something

verb · CEFR B1

talking about or mentioning a person, thing, or idea.

For teachers: alluding to or mentioning a specific subject, person, or event in speech or writing.

- I think she was referring to the meeting we had last Tuesday.
- The speaker was clearly referring to the recent economic downturn, though he avoided mentioning the specific figures in his opening remarks.

Usage: Requires the preposition 'to' when taking an object.

### 2. sending to an expert

verb · CEFR B2

sending someone to a different person or place for help or information.

For teachers: directing a person to a specialist, authority, or different department for professional consultation or action.

- The doctor is referring me to a specialist for more tests.
- The primary care physician is referring the patient to a cardiologist to investigate the persistent heart palpitations.

Usage: Often follows the pattern 'referring someone to someone else'.

### 3. looking for information

verb · CEFR B1

looking at a book, map, or website to find information.

For teachers: consulting a source of information for facts, data, or guidance.

- He kept referring to his notes during the presentation.
- The researchers were constantly referring to the original data sets to ensure their conclusions remained accurate throughout the analysis.

### 4. the act of mentioning

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the act of mentioning or pointing something out.

For teachers: the action of mentioning or alluding to something; a specific instance of reference.

- The constant referring to past mistakes made the conversation difficult.
- The author's frequent referring to obscure classical texts suggests a highly academic intended audience.

Teaching tip: While 'reference' is the more common noun, 'referring' is used as a gerund to describe the ongoing action.

## Examples

- She is referring to the book we read yesterday.
- When the manager spoke about 'recent changes', he was actually referring to the new office rules.
- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.