referee
gb/ɹˌɛfɚˈi/ us/ɹˌɛfɚˈi/
B1
English
~ 6200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
official in charge of a game
A person who watches a sports game and makes sure all players follow the rules.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is the referee in [a game/match]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'referee' with 'umpire' and use them for all sports. In many common sports, 'referee' is used for football (soccer), rugby, and boxing, while 'umpire' is more common in tennis, baseball, and cricket. Some learners also confuse 'referee' with 'judge', which is used more for sports like gymnastics or figure skating.
Synonyms
official (More general word for someone who enforces rules; not limited to sports.)
|
umpire (Used in some sports like tennis, baseball, and cricket instead of 'referee'.)
Antonyms
player (A person actively taking part in the game instead of controlling it.)
Collocations
football referee
|match referee
|the referee blows the whistle
|the referee's decision
|assistant referee
|referee awards a penalty
Themes
sports
|law
|daily life
Examples
- The referee stopped the game after a dangerous tackle.
- Both teams surrounded the referee to complain about the penalty.
- The referee consulted the video assistant before confirming the goal.
- She trained for years before becoming an international football referee.
- The coach was sent off for shouting at the referee.
Learner examples
- The referee blows the whistle to start the game.
- The players must listen to the referee.
- The referee gives a red card to the angry player.
- He wants to be a basketball referee one day.
- The referee runs across the field during the match.
Noun
formal
B2
entity
2
person who gives a reference
A person who knows you and is happy to tell an employer or school what you are like and how well you work or study.
Usage pattern:
[someone] lists [someone] as a referee on [an application]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'referee' with 'refugee' because the words look similar but have completely different meanings. Another common mistake is thinking that 'referee' here means the sports official; in job or university applications, 'referee' almost always means someone who will write or give a reference for you.
Synonyms
reference (Often used for both the person and the written statement; slightly broader and more common in everyday speech.)
|
recommender (Emphasises that the person is recommending you; less formal and less fixed than 'referee'.)
Antonyms
stranger (A stranger does not know you well and therefore cannot act as a reliable referee.)
Collocations
provide a referee
|list a referee
|professional referee
|academic referee
|ask [someone] to be a referee
|contact your referees
Themes
work
|education
|bureaucracy
|business
Examples
- Please give the names of two referees on your application form.
- My former manager agreed to be a referee for me.
- The company contacted my referees to check my work history.
- You should always ask someone before you list them as a referee.
- Universities often ask for an academic referee who knows your work.
Learner examples
- I wrote my teacher's name as a referee.
- The company wants two referees for this job.
- My old boss is a good referee for me.
- They will email my referees next week.
- Ask your manager before you use him as a referee.
Verb
B2
action
3
to control a game as referee
To be the person in a sports game who watches and makes sure that players follow the rules.
Usage pattern:
to referee [a game/match/tournament]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say 'He will be a referee the match' instead of 'He will referee the match' or 'He will be the referee for the match'. Another mistake is using 'referee' when the sport normally uses 'umpire', for example saying 'He will referee the tennis game' instead of 'He will umpire the tennis match'.
Synonyms
officiate (More formal and slightly more technical; used in sports reporting and official contexts.)
Antonyms
play (To take part in the game as a participant rather than control it as an official.)
Collocations
referee a match
|referee the final
|referee an important game
|referee at the World Cup
|referee youth games
|referee on weekends
Themes
sports
|work
Examples
- She was invited to referee the national final this year.
- He has refereed over two hundred professional matches.
- I usually play, but tonight I'm going to referee the game.
- Only qualified officials can referee international tournaments.
- They asked a neutral official to referee the deciding match.
Learner examples
- My uncle will referee the game tonight.
- He likes to referee small local matches.
- Next week she will referee a big final.
- I don't want to play; I can referee instead.
- He learned the rules before he tried to referee a match.
Verb
technical
C1
action
4
to review an academic paper
To read and check a research paper or plan as an expert, and say if it is good enough to publish or support.
Usage pattern:
to referee [a paper/article/proposal]
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'referee' in this sense is informal, but in academic writing it is a fairly technical word. Some also confuse it with 'edit'; refereeing means judging the quality, while editing focuses on improving language and structure.
Synonyms
peer-review (Common academic term; focuses specifically on evaluation by other experts in the same field.)
|
review (More general; can be used in many contexts and does not always imply a formal academic process.)
Antonyms
submit (To send a paper or proposal for consideration instead of evaluating it for others.)
Collocations
referee a paper
|referee a journal article
|referee a grant proposal
|agree to referee
|invite [someone] to referee
|referee for a top journal
Themes
academia
|science
|work
|education
Examples
- She was asked to referee a paper on climate policy.
- I do not have enough time to referee another journal article this month.
- Early-career researchers are often nervous when they first referee a manuscript.
- Only specialists in the field should referee such complex technical work.
- He has refereed several grant proposals for the European funding agency.
Learner examples
- My professor agreed to referee the article for the journal.
- Experts referee research papers before they are printed.
- She is busy because she must referee three papers this week.
- The editor will find two people to referee the manuscript.
- He was happy to referee the proposal for the science council.
Grammar
Dictionary form
referee
IPA
GB/ɹˌɛfɚˈi/
US/ɹˌɛfɚˈi/
Syllables & stress
ref - er - ee (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (er)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: referee
- Plural: referees
Verb
- Base: referee
- 3rd Person Singular: referees
- Present Participle: refereeing
- Past: refereed
Word family
Forms
referees
noun
refereeing
verb
refereed
verb
Related words
ref
noun B1
Expressions
act as referee
1/ˈækt ˈæz ɹˌɛfɚˈi/
fixed phrase
perform the role of referee
To do the job of a referee, making sure people follow the rules and deciding what is fair in a game or argument.
Examples
- A teacher was asked to act as referee during the student debate.
- We need someone neutral to act as referee for the match.
- He agreed to act as referee in their argument about money.
referee a match
1/ɹˌɛfɚˈi ə mˈæt͡ʃ/
fixed phrase
officiate a sports match
To control a sports match as the referee and make decisions about the rules.
Examples
- He will referee a match between the top two teams tonight.
- I usually referee a match every Saturday morning for the youth league.
- Only trained officials can referee a match at this level.
referee a paper
1/ɹˌɛfɚˈi ə pˈeɪpɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
review an academic paper
To read an academic paper as an expert and decide if it is good enough to publish.
Examples
- The journal asked her to referee a paper on language change.
- I don't have time to referee a paper before the end of the month.
- Young researchers are often nervous when they first referee a paper.
serve as a referee
1/sˈɚv ˈæz ə ɹˌɛfɚˈi/
fixed phrase
formal
officially be a referee
To officially take the role of a referee for a game, disagreement, or for someone who needs a reference.
Examples
- She agreed to serve as a referee for my job application.
- A senior lecturer will serve as a referee for the scholarship committee.
- They asked an outside expert to serve as a referee in the dispute.
the referee's decision is final
1/ðə ɹˌɛfɚˈiz dɪsˈɪʒən ˈɪz fˈaɪnəl/
fixed phrase
referee's ruling cannot change
The decision the referee makes cannot be changed or argued with.
Examples
- Remember, the referee's decision is final, so there is no point in arguing.
- In most amateur leagues the referee's decision is final, even if video shows a mistake.
- Coaches were reminded that the referee's decision is final during the tournament.