referee

referee — noun

1. a person who controls a sports match and makes sure the players follow the rules

1.nounB1
Definition

a person who controls a sports match and makes sure the players follow the rules, with the power to stop play or give penalties when the rules are broken

Example

The referee blew her whistle and stopped the game after the dangerous tackle.

referee + whistle/stop/penalty collocations

Arjun disagreed with the referee's decision to award a penalty kick to the other team.

Common collocations
  • referee's decision
  • referee's whistle
  • referee blows the whistle
  • referee stops the game
  • referee awards a penalty
Synonyms
  • umpire

    used in different sports — cricket, tennis, and baseball use 'umpire' instead of 'referee'

  • official

    broader term covering all sports officials including linespeople and timekeepers

  • judge

    used in boxing, gymnastics, and diving where the role is to score rather than enforce rules

Usage Note

In team sports such as football, basketball, and rugby, the referee has the power to stop play and give cards or penalties. Distinguish from 'umpire' (used in cricket, tennis, baseball) and 'judge' (used in boxing and gymnastics).

Common Mistakes

The umpire gave the football player a yellow card.
The referee gave the football player a yellow card.
In football (soccer), the official is called a 'referee', not an 'umpire'.

2. a specialist who reads a research article or book manuscript and gives an opinio

2.nounB2
Definition

a specialist who reads a research article or book manuscript and gives an opinion on its quality and whether it should be published by a journal or publisher

Example

The journal sent the article to three anonymous referees before making a final decision.

anonymous referees

Imani works as a referee for chemistry journals and reviews about ten papers a year.

Common collocations
  • anonymous referee
  • independent referee
  • referee's report
  • act as a referee for a journal
Synonyms
  • reviewer

    more common in American English; 'referee' is more common in British academic contexts

  • reader

    used by some publishers, especially for book manuscript reviews

  • assessor

    used in British and Commonwealth academic contexts, especially for grant proposals

Usage Note

Commonly called a 'peer reviewer' in modern academic English. The referee's identity is usually hidden from the author — a process known as 'blind reviewing'.

Common Mistakes

The referee will decide whether to accept the paper.
The editor will decide whether to accept the paper based on the referee's report.
The referee recommends; the editor decides.

3. a person or group asked to help two opposing sides in a disagreement find a fair

3.nounB2
Definition

a person or group asked to help two opposing sides in a disagreement find a fair solution, especially when the sides cannot agree on their own

Example

The two companies agreed to bring in an independent referee to settle their contract dispute.

independent referee settles a dispute

A neutral referee helped the neighbours agree about the shared fence between their houses.

Common collocations
  • neutral referee
  • independent referee
  • act as a referee
  • refer a dispute to a referee
Synonyms
  • mediator

    focuses on facilitating discussion; does not typically propose or impose a solution

  • arbitrator

    used in legal and labour relations contexts; the arbitrator's decision is often binding

  • conciliator

    focuses on restoring friendly relationships between the sides

Usage Note

This sense overlaps with 'mediator' and 'arbitrator'. A referee in this sense is typically expected to make a fair recommendation for a decision, whereas a mediator facilitates discussion without proposing binding solutions.

Common Mistakes

The court referee acted as a mediator who only listened.
The court referee investigated and wrote a report for the judge.
In legal contexts, a referee has investigative duties; a mediator helps parties talk to each other.

4. someone you have worked or studied with who agrees to tell a future employer abo

4.nounB1
Definition

someone you have worked or studied with who agrees to tell a future employer about your skills and character when you apply for a job

Example

Benjamin listed his former manager as a referee on his job application for the bank.

list someone as a referee

Would you be my referee when I apply for the teaching job at the international school?

Common collocations
  • name someone as a referee
  • list someone as a referee
  • contact a referee
  • ask someone to be a referee
Synonyms
  • reference

    American English equivalent; also used for the written statement itself rather than the person

  • recommender

    formal term emphasising the positive recommendation aspect

  • character referee

    specifically for personal character references, not work performance

Usage Note

British English uses 'referee' for this meaning; American English prefers 'reference'. You typically provide two or three referees when applying for a job, and they are usually former managers, supervisors, or teachers.

Common Mistakes

Please provide two references with your application.' (in a British context)
Please provide two referees with your application.
In British English, the person is called a 'referee'; the written statement they provide is a 'reference'.

5. someone chosen by a judge or a court to look into a legal matter and produce a w

5.nounC1
Definition

someone chosen by a judge or a court to look into a legal matter and produce a written account of what they discover, which helps the judge reach a final decision

Example

The judge appointed a special referee to examine the financial records for the fraud case.

court-appointed referee + examine financial records

The court referee submitted a detailed report about the ownership of the disputed property.

Common collocations
  • special referee
  • court referee
  • appoint a referee
  • referee's report
  • referee's findings
Synonyms
  • court-appointed expert

    broader term covering any expert the court hires to investigate

  • special master

    US legal term for a similar role, especially in federal courts

  • commissioner

    used in some common law jurisdictions for a person appointed by a court to take evidence

Usage Note

This is a technical legal term used mainly in formal court documents and legal proceedings. The referee investigates and reports back to the court but does not make the final ruling — the judge does.

referee — verb

Word family

  • refereeing
    nounB2
  • refereed
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe people who oversee sports, but they belong to different games. A 'referee' controls matches in football (soccer), basketball, rugby, and boxing — the referee can stop play and give penalties. An 'umpire' is used in cricket, tennis, baseball, and badminton; umpires typically stay in one position and make calls on specific events like balls and strikes. A 'judge' scores performances in boxing rounds, gymnastics routines, or diving dives rather than enforcing rules during continuous play. 'Official' is the broadest term covering any role in running a sporting event, including linespeople, timekeepers, and scorekeepers. For example: 'The football referee gave a red card.' 'The tennis umpire called the ball out.' 'The boxing judges scored the final round ten to nine.'

referee ↗umpirejudge ↗official ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • act as a referee
  • serve as a referee
  • appoint a referee
  • ask someone to be a referee

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'referee' was formed in English from the verb 'refer' (from Latin 'referre' — 'to carry back, to report') plus the suffix '-ee' (meaning 'a person who is [verb]-ed'). So literally a referee is 'a person who is referred to' — someone to whom a dispute or matter is sent for a decision. The sports meaning became common in the late 19th century as organised team sports grew in popularity. The academic sense (reviewing manuscripts) dates to the mid-20th century, when peer review became standard publishing practice.