Phrasal Verbs
to mention or speak about someone or something The victims were not referred to by name. Her mother never referred to him again. You know who I'm referring to. She always referred to Ben as “that nice man.” I promised not to refer to the matter again. Thesaurusmention
- refer to somebody/something
- speak of/about somebody/something
- cite
- quote
- mention to write or speak about someone or something, especially without giving much information:Nobody mentioned anything to me about the party.
- refer to somebody/something (somewhat formal) to mention or speak about someone or something:I promised not to refer to the matter again.
- speak of/about somebody/something to mention or describe someone or something:Witnesses spoke of a great ball of flame.
- cite (formal) to mention something as a reason or an example, or in order to support what you are saying:She cited her heavy workload as the reason for her breakdown.
- quote to mention an example of something to support what you are saying:Can you quote me an instance of this happening?
- You can cite reasons or examples, but you can only quote examples:She quoted her heavy workload as the reason for her breakdown.Cite is a more formal word than quote and is often used in more formal situations, for example in descriptions of legal cases.
- to mention/refer to/speak of/cite/quote somebody/something as somebody/something
- to mention/refer to/cite/quote a(n) example/instance/case of something
- frequently/often mentioned/referred to/spoken of/cited/quoted
- the example mentioned/referred to/cited/quoted above/earlier/previously
Definitions on the go
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- 1to describe or be connected to someone or something The star refers to items which are intended for the advanced learner. The term “Arts” usually refers to humanities and social sciences. This paragraph refers to the events of last year. The term “accent” refers to pronunciation. The term “dialect” refers to vocabulary and grammar. Language Bankdefinedefining terms
- It is important to clarify what is meant by climate change.
- Climate change can/may be defined as “the long-term fluctuations in temperature, precipitation, wind, and other aspects of the earth's climate.”
- A generally accepted definition of global warming is the gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere due to the greenhouse effect.
- The greenhouse effect is defined by the author as the process by which heat from the sun is trapped in the earth's atmosphere, causing the temperature of the earth to rise.
- The author uses the term “climate change”to refer to any significant change in measures of climate lasting for an extended period.
- The term “carbon footprint”refers to the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a result of the activities of an individual or organization.
- Scientists suggest that increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will result in an increase in global temperatures, and the term “global warming”is used to describe this phenomenon.
- 2to look at something or ask a person for information synonym consult You may refer to your notes if you want. to refer to a dictionary
to send someone or something to someone or something for help, advice, or a decision My doctor referred me to a specialist. The case was referred to the Court of Appeals. (formal) May I refer you to my letter of May 14?