Etymology
Origin of referral
Explanation
A referral sends someone somewhere, often for help or advice. You'll need a referral from your doctor in order to see a specialist. You could also receive a referral for a job, if someone passes along your application. If you're dealing with a big company or institution, you might get tired of the endless referrals from one department to another. Remember that referral has two r's in the middle, “rr,” like a growl.
Vocabulary lists containing referral
"Efrén Divided" by Ernesto Cisneros, Chapters 1–5
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Half a World Away
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocabulary for December 17–December 23, 2022
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Branch manager, Renata Acioli, said there was "a lot of need" locally: "When we open our referrals every morning, we have a referral in every 40 to 50 seconds."
From BBC • May 6, 2026
With a core group in place, he now hires mostly via referral.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
The Justice Department offered private assurances that it would pursue a criminal referral only if the Fed’s inspector general—whose audit Powell had requested last July—found wrongdoing.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026
A spokesperson said the suspect's referral to Prevent was closed that same year.
From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026
She went to a local youth employment program in Downey and got a referral to a mom-and-pop accounting business.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
