referral

English

Etymology tree

English refer

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-

Proto-Indo-European *-is

Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālislbor.

Old French -albor.

▲

Latin -ālis

Old French -elbor.

▲

Latin -ālisbor.

Middle English -al

English -al

English referral

From refer + -al.

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈfɜː.ɹəl/
(General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈfɝ.əl/
(Australia) IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈfɜː.ɹəl/, (weak vowel merger) [ɹɨ̞ˈfɜː.ɹəl]
- Audio (Queensland); /ɹɪˈfɜː.ɹəl/: (file)
(New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ɹəˈføː.ɹəl/
Rhymes: -ɜːɹəl

referral (countable and uncountable, plural referrals)

The act or process of transferring someone or something to another, of sending by reference, or referring.
Coordinate term: consultation

The insurance company insists I get a referral from my regular doctor. I can't just go to the specialist; a GP has got to refer me.
(slang) A document used by schools detailing some form of a student's misbehavior and listing the actions taken before and after the student's receipt of the referral.
After misbehaving in class, George was given a referral for disrupting class and sent to the office.

act or process of transferring — see also reference