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: a person who reviews a paper and especially a technical paper and recommends that it should or should not be published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
Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
Alexander worries that professional traders could take advantage of and benefit at the expense of regular investors, comparing it to a soccer game between two teams without a referee.
—Rafael Nam, NPR, 6 Jan. 2025
Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 5 Jan. 2025
There are usually mixed reactions when NFL referees flag pass interference.
—Chantz Martin, Fox News, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for referee 
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Noun
Cash appealed for the foul and together with Youri Tielemans, marched towards referee Lewis Smith.
—Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
Alexander worries that professional traders could take advantage of and benefit at the expense of regular investors, comparing it to a soccer game between two teams without a referee.
—Rafael Nam, NPR, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
Shanahan then appeared to appeal to referee Shawn Smith, to no avail.
—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 5 Jan. 2025
There are usually mixed reactions when NFL referees flag pass interference.
—Chantz Martin, Fox News, 20 Dec. 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 19 Jan. 2025.
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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