refer – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of refer

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to refer
Participle: referred
Gerund: referring

Cognates

See the 2 cognates of refer

Indicative

Present

Irefer
yourefer
he;she;itrefers
werefer
yourefer
theyrefer

Perfect

Ihave referred
youhave referred
he;she;ithas referred
wehave referred
youhave referred
theyhave referred

Past

Ireferred
youreferred
he;she;itreferred
wereferred
youreferred
theyreferred

Pluperfect

Ihad referred
youhad referred
he;she;ithad referred
wehad referred
youhad referred
theyhad referred

Future

Iwill refer
youwill refer
he;she;itwill refer
wewill refer
youwill refer
theywill refer

Future Perfect

Iwill have referred
youwill have referred
he;she;itwill have referred
wewill have referred
youwill have referred
theywill have referred

Subjunctive

Present

Irefer
yourefer
he;she;itrefer
werefer
yourefer
theyrefer

Perfect

Ihave referred
youhave referred
he;she;ithave referred
wehave referred
youhave referred
theyhave referred

Imperfect

Ireferred
youreferred
he;she;itreferred
wereferred
youreferred
theyreferred

Pluperfect

Ihad referred
youhad referred
he;she;ithad referred
wehad referred
youhad referred
theyhad referred

Conditional

Present

Iwould refer
youwould refer
he;she;itwould refer
wewould refer
youwould refer
theywould refer

Perfect

Iwould have referred
youwould have referred
he;she;itwould have referred
wewould have referred
youwould have referred
theywould have referred

Imperative

yourefer
weLet's refer
yourefer

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

Iam referring
youare referring
he;she;itis referring
weare referring
youare referring
theyare referring

Perfect

Ihave been referring
youhave been referring
he;she;ithas been referring
wehave been referring
youhave been referring
theyhave been referring

Past

Iwas referring
youwere referring
he;she;itwas referring
wewere referring
youwere referring
theywere referring

Pluperfect

Ihad been referring
youhad been referring
he;she;ithad been referring
wehad been referring
youhad been referring
theyhad been referring

Future

Iwill be referring
youwill be referring
he;she;itwill be referring
wewill be referring
youwill be referring
theywill be referring

Future Perfect

Iwill have been referring
youwill have been referring
he;she;itwill have been referring
wewill have been referring
youwill have been referring
theywill have been referring

Conditional

Present

Iwould be referring
youwould be referring
he;she;itwould be referring
wewould be referring
youwould be referring
theywould be referring

Perfect

Iwould have been referring
youwould have been referring
he;she;itwould have been referring
wewould have been referring
youwould have been referring
theywould have been referring

Other

Verbs conjugated like 'refer'

abet, abhor, abut, acquit, admit, affrap, allot, alum, amel, amit, anagram, anvil, apparel, aret, arret, assot, astun, attrap, augur, avel, etc. (List truncated at 20 verbs)

Verbs similar to 'refer'

defer, prefer, refar, refel, beer, befur, bever, deter, fever, infer,

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

to have to do with; be relevant to
affect, bear on, bear upon, concern, impact, involve, pertain, regard, relate, touch
indirect suggestion
advert, allude, hint, imply, indicate, inkle, insinuate, intimate, signify, suggest
direct
designate, submit, consign, deliver, commit
concern
pertain, relate, apply, involve, include, belong, obtain, encompass
mention
allude, suggest, cite, point, ascribe, adduce

Antonyms

direct
mislead, divert, deceive
mention
silence, suppress, hide, ignore

Additional Information

Etymology

1. c.1374, "to trace back, attribute, assign," from O.Fr. referer (14c.), from L. referre "to relate, refer," lit. "to carry back," from re- "back" + ferre "carry" (see infer). Meaning "to commit to some authority for a decision" is from 1456; sense of "to direct (someone) to a book, etc." is from 1601. Referral "act of referring" is first recorded 1934; specific sense of "an act of referring an individual to a specialist" is from 1955.
2. From Middle English referren, from Old French referer, from Latin referre. The noun (used in journalism) is from the verb. Doublet of relate. See also infer, collate and confer, delate and defer, as well as prelate and prefer among others. See: Old French 'referer', Latin 'referre'.

Verbs referencing "refer"

Dutch refereren.

Sample Sentences

  • [...] limits, I would always encourage this kind of pride, as a worthy element of self-respect, in any person I employed; and should no more be deterred from doing so, because some wretched female referred her fall to a love of dress, than I would allow my construction of the real intent and meaning of the Sabbath to be influenced by any warning to the well-disposed, founded on his backslidings on [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • We had previously looked into another chamber fitted all round with a great, bare, wooden desk or counter, whereon lay files of newspapers, to which sundry gentlemen were referring. But there were no such means of beguiling the time in this apartment, which was as unpromising and tiresome as any waiting-room in one of our public establishments, or any physician 's dining-room [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] like myself, declining, without any impropriety, an invitation to dinner, which did not reach me until I had concluded my arrangements for leaving Washington some days before that to which it referred, I only returned to this house once. It was on the occasion of one of those general assemblies which are held on certain nights, between the hours of nine and twelve o’clock, and are called, rather [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] public buildings, and population, perhaps it may be. It certainly has a great quantity of smoke hanging about it, and is famous for its iron-works. Besides the prison to which I have already referred, this town contains a pretty arsenal and other institutions. It is very beautifully situated on the Alleghany River, over which there are two bridges; and the villas of the wealthier citizens [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • As in every other place I visited, the judges here were gentlemen of high character and attainments. I was in one of the courts for a few minutes, and found it like those to which I have already referred. A nuisance cause was trying; there were not many spectators; and the witnesses, counsel, and jury, formed a sort of family circle, sufficiently jocose and snug. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] either, I will once more turn to their own newspapers, and I will confine myself, this time, to a selection from paragraphs which appeared from day to day, during my visit to America, and which refer to occurrences happening while I was there. The italics in these extracts, as in the foregoing, are my own. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • In like manner, all kinds of deficient and impolitic usages are referred to the national love of trade; though, oddly enough, it would be a weighty charge against a foreigner that he regarded the Americans as a trading people. The love of trade is assigned as a reason [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] testimony, so long as I live, and so long as my descendants have any legal right in my books, I shall cause to be republished, as an appendix to every copy of those two books of mine in which I have referred to America. And this I will do and cause to be done, not in mere love and thankfulness, but because I regard it as an act of plain justice and honour. ’ (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • What the _exertions_ were which Marie referred to, it would have been difficult to state. St. Clare quietly made this commentary to himself, and went on smoking, like a hard-hearted wretch of a man as he was, till a carriage drove up before the [...] (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] should be brought into tangible and recognizable shape, let the consequences to her prove what they might. In the mean time, they received a letter from the lawyer to whom Miss Ophelia had referred them, saying that he knew nothing of the matter; that the man was sold at a public auction, and that, beyond receiving the money, he knew nothing of the affair. (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)