ref·er·ee
ˌre-fə-ˈrē 
1
: one to whom a thing is referred: such as
a
: a person to whom a legal matter is referred for investigation and report or for settlement
b
: a person who reviews a paper and especially a technical paper and recommends that it should or should not be published
c
chiefly British
: reference sense 4a
2
: a sports official usually having final authority in administering a game
refereed; refereeing
1
: to conduct (a match or game) as referee
2
a
: to arbitrate (something, such as a legal matter) as a judge or third party
b
: to review (something, such as a technical paper) before publication
: to act as a referee
Synonyms
Examples of referee in a Sentence
Noun
served as the unofficial referee in disputes over the family business
Verb
She refereed the basketball game.
He has refereed for several years now.
Recent Examples on the Web
David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024
Those fears grew even greater when the referee awarded a penalty against Juve, only to spot his assistant’s flag indicating the ball had gone out of play before the Di Gregorio foul on Bonny.
—Adam Digby, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Sam Leveridge, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024
Only 60% of boys’ football officials referee both sports.
—Benjamin Royer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for referee 
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Noun
Eventually, as the referee removed the Money in the Bank briefcase from the ring, the Rodriquez sneak attacked Jax, allowing Morgan to hit ObLivion for the win.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024
Those fears grew even greater when the referee awarded a penalty against Juve, only to spot his assistant’s flag indicating the ball had gone out of play before the Di Gregorio foul on Bonny.
—Adam Digby, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
Real Madrid results with José María Sánchez Martínez In total, Sánchez Martínez has refereed 35 Real Madrid fixtures, more than any other team and followed by Barcelona with 34.
—Sam Leveridge, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024
Only 60% of boys’ football officials referee both sports.
—Benjamin Royer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for referee
Dictionary Entries Near referee
Cite this Entry
“Referee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/referee. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
referee
1 of 2 noun
ref·er·ee
ˌref-ə-ˈrē
1
: a person to whom something that is to be investigated or decided is referred
2
: a sports official usually having final authority in conducting a game
referee
2 of 2 verb
refereed; refereeing
: to conduct as a referee
Legal Definition
referee
noun
ref·er·ee
ˌre-fə-ˈrē
: an officer appointed by a court or quasi-judicial body (as a workers' compensation board) to investigate a case, report findings, and often to make orders subject to review
the board may affirm, reverse, modify or supplement the order of the referee—Oregon Revised Statutes
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