referee

See also: référée

English

Etymology

From Middle English [Term?], from past participle of Old French referer (“to relate, to refer”), from Latin referre (“to carry back, to report, to notify”); as if refer +‎ -ee, that is, the person to whom something is referred for consideration.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌɹɛf.əˈɹiː/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌɹɛfəˈɹiː/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• (Indic) IPA^(key): /ˈrɛf(ə)ri/
• Rhymes: -iː

Noun

referee (plural referees)

English Wikipedia has an article on:

referee

Wikipedia

1. (sports) An umpire or judge; an official who makes sure the rules are followed during a game.

   The referee kicked Jim out of the game for fighting.

2. A person who settles a dispute.
3. (UK) A person who writes a letter of reference or provides a reference by phone call for someone. US English: reference.

   Your application, along with letters from three referees, should be received by January 31.

4. An expert who judges the manuscript of an article or book to decide if it should be published.

Usage notes

• In general, and as a usage guideline, a referee moves around with the game, while an umpire stays (approximately) in one place.

Derived terms

• assistant referee
• match referee
• ref (clipping)
• referee assistant
• refereeship
• video assistant referee
• video referee

Related terms

• referral
• referrer

Translations

sport: umpire, judge of a game

Arabic: حَكَم (ar) m (ḥakam) Armenian: մրցավար (hy) (mrcʻavar) Basque: epaile Belarusian: суддзя́ m or f (suddzjá), рэферы́ m or f (refjerý), арбі́тр m (arbítr), арбі́тар m (arbítar) Bulgarian: съдия́ (bg) m (sǎdijá), ре́фер m (réfer) Catalan: àrbitre (ca) m Chinese: Mandarin: 裁判 (zh) (cáipàn) Crimean Tatar: akem Czech: rozhodčí (cs) m Danish: dommer (da) c Dutch: scheidsrechter (nl) Esperanto: decidisto, arbitraciisto Faroese: dómari m Finnish: erotuomari (fi) French: arbitre (fr) m Georgian: please add this translation if you can German: Schiedsrichter (de) m, Schiedsrichterin (de) f Greek: διαιτητής (el) m (diaititís) Ancient: βραβευτής m (brabeutḗs) Greenlandic: dommeri Haitian Creole: abit Hebrew: שופט (he) m (shofét) Hungarian: bíró (hu), spori (hu) Irish: moltóir m, réiteoir m Italian: arbitro (it) m Japanese: 審判 (ja) (しんぱん, shinpan, しんばん, shinban), レフェリー (ja) (referī) Khmer: អាជ្ញាកណ្ដាល (km) (ʼaacñaa kɑndaal) Korean: 심판(審判) (ko) (simpan) Luxembourgish: Arbitter m Macedonian: су́дија m (súdija), судијка f (sudijka) Malay: pengadil, wasit Maori: rewherī, kaiwawao Mongolian: please add this translation if you can Norwegian: Bokmål: dommer (no) m Nynorsk: dommar m Plautdietsch: Spellvemedla m Polish: sędzia (pl) m, arbiter (pl) m Portuguese: árbitro (pt) m, juiz (pt) m Romanian: arbitru (ro) m Russian: судья́ (ru) m or f (sudʹjá), ре́фери́ (ru) m or f (rɛ́ferí), арби́тр (ru) m (arbítr), (baseball, cricket) ампа́йр (ru) m (ampájr) Scottish Gaelic: rèitear m Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: судија m, су́дац m, су̏ткиња f Roman: sudija (sh) m, súdac (sh) m, sȕtkinja (sh) f Slovak: rozhodca m, rozhodkyňa f Sorbian: Lower Sorbian: sudnik m, sudnica f Spanish: árbitro (es) m, réferi (es) m, referee m or f (Americas) Swedish: domare (sv) c Thai: ผู้ตัดสิน (pûu-dtàt-sǐn) Turkish: hakem (tr) Ukrainian: суддя́ m or f (suddjá), рефері́ m or f (referí), арбі́тр (uk) m (arbítr) Vietnamese: trọng tài (vi) Welsh: dyfarnwr m, dyfarnwraig f

person who settles a dispute

Arabic: حَكَم (ar) m (ḥakam) Bulgarian: съдия́ (bg) m (sǎdijá), арбитър (bg) m (arbitǎr) Catalan: àrbitre (ca) m Dutch: arbiter (nl) Finnish: välimies (fi), sovittelija (fi) French: arbitre (fr) m German: Schlichter (de) m (general), Schiedsmann m (in jurisdiction), Ombudsmann (de) m, Ombudsfrau (de) f (where formalized using this term) Greek: διαιτητής (el) m (diaititís), εισηγητής (el) m (eisigitís) Korean: 중재인(仲裁人) (ko) (jungjaein) Macedonian: су́дија m (súdija) Maori: rewherī Portuguese: árbitro (pt) m, juiz (pt) m Romanian: arbitru (ro) m, judecător (ro) m Russian: судья́ (ru) m (sudʹjá), арби́тр (ru) m (arbítr) Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: судија m, су́дац m, су̏ткиња f Roman: sudija (sh) m, súdac (sh) m, sȕtkinja (sh) f Spanish: árbitro (es) m Swedish: skiljedomare c Welsh: canolwr (cy) m, cyflafareddwr m

person who writes a letter of reference

Bulgarian: референт (bg) (referent) Chinese: Mandarin: 證明人 / 证明人 (zh) (zhèngmíngrén) Dutch: referentie (nl) c Finnish: suosittelija (fi) German: Empfehlungsgeber m, Befürworter (de) m, Protagonist (de) m Irish: moltóir m Korean: 신원보증인(身元保證人) (sinwonbojeung'in) Macedonian: препора́чател m (preporáčatel) Romanian: referent (ro) m Russian: поручи́тель (ru) m (poručítelʹ), поручи́тельница (ru) f (poručítelʹnica) Swedish: referens (sv) c Welsh: canolwr (cy) m

expert who judges a manuscript

Bulgarian: рецензент m (recenzent) Finnish: arvioija (fi) German: Rezensent (de) m, Lektor (de) m Greek: κριτής (el) m or f (kritís) Irish: measúnóir m Korean: 심사원(審査員) (ko) (simsawon) Macedonian: ве́штак m (véštak) Russian: рецензе́нт (ru) m (recenzént) Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: рецѐнзент m, рецѐнзентица f Roman: recènzent (sh) m, recènzentica (sh) f Spanish: árbitro (es) m, revisor m Turkish: bilirkişi (tr)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Slovak: (please verify) rozhodca

Verb

referee (third-person singular simple present referees, present participle refereeing, simple past and past participle refereed)

1. To act as a referee.

   He has to referee three hockey games this weekend.

   She has to finish refereeing an article for Nature.

Translations

to act as a judge of a game or contest

Bulgarian: реферирам (bg) (referiram), рецензирам (recenziram) Danish: dømme Esperanto: arbitracii Finnish: tuomita (fi), toimia tuomarina, tuomaroida (fi), sovitella (fi), suositella (fi), arvioida (fi) French: arbitrer (fr) German: schiedsrichtern (de) (rare), pfeifen (de) (coll.) Greek: Ancient: βραβεύω (brabeúō) Italian: arbitrare (it) Macedonian: су́ди (súdi) Maori: rewherī Polish: sędziować (pl) impf Portuguese: arbitrar (pt) Romanian: arbitra (ro) Spanish: arbitrar (es) Swedish: döma (sv)

to settle a dispute

German: schlichten (de), entscheiden (de)

to write a letter of reference

German: empfehlen (de), beurteilen (de), befürworten (de) (if deemed supportive)

to judge a manuscript

German: lektorieren, beurteilen (de)

Finnish

Etymology

From English referee.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrefereː/, [ˈre̞fe̞re̞ː]
• IPA^(key): /ˈreferiː/, [ˈre̞fe̞riː]
• Rhymes: -efereː
• Syllabification^(key): re‧fe‧ree
• Hyphenation^(key): re‧fe‧ree

Noun

referee

1. referee (expert who judges the manuscript of an article or book to decide if it should be published)

   Synonym: arvioija

Declension

Inflection of referee (Kotus type 20/filee, no gradation)
nominative		referee	refereet
genitive		refereen	refereiden refereitten
partitive		refereetä	refereitä
illative		refereehen refereeseen	refereihin refereisiin
		singular	plural
nominative		referee	refereet
accusative	nom.	referee	refereet
	gen.	refereen
genitive		refereen	refereiden refereitten
partitive		refereetä	refereitä
inessive		refereessä	refereissä
elative		refereestä	refereistä
illative		refereehen refereeseen	refereihin refereisiin
adessive		refereellä	refereillä
ablative		refereeltä	refereiltä
allative		refereelle	refereille
essive		refereenä	refereinä
translative		refereeksi	refereiksi
abessive		refereettä	refereittä
instructive		—	referein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of referee (Kotus type 20/filee, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative refereeni refereeni accusative nom. refereeni refereeni gen. refereeni genitive refereeni refereideni refereitteni partitive refereetäni refereitäni inessive refereessäni refereissäni elative refereestäni refereistäni illative refereeheni refereeseeni refereihini refereisiini adessive refereelläni refereilläni ablative refereeltäni refereiltäni allative refereelleni refereilleni essive refereenäni refereinäni translative refereekseni refereikseni abessive refereettäni refereittäni instructive — — comitative — refereineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative refereesi refereesi accusative nom. refereesi refereesi gen. refereesi genitive refereesi refereidesi refereittesi partitive refereetäsi refereitäsi inessive refereessäsi refereissäsi elative refereestäsi refereistäsi illative refereehesi refereeseesi refereihisi refereisiisi adessive refereelläsi refereilläsi ablative refereeltäsi refereiltäsi allative refereellesi refereillesi essive refereenäsi refereinäsi translative refereeksesi refereiksesi abessive refereettäsi refereittäsi instructive — — comitative — refereinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative refereemme refereemme accusative nom. refereemme refereemme gen. refereemme genitive refereemme refereidemme refereittemme partitive refereetämme refereitämme inessive refereessämme refereissämme elative refereestämme refereistämme illative refereehemme refereeseemme refereihimme refereisiimme adessive refereellämme refereillämme ablative refereeltämme refereiltämme allative refereellemme refereillemme essive refereenämme refereinämme translative refereeksemme refereiksemme abessive refereettämme refereittämme instructive — — comitative — refereinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative refereenne refereenne accusative nom. refereenne refereenne gen. refereenne genitive refereenne refereidenne refereittenne partitive refereetänne refereitänne inessive refereessänne refereissänne elative refereestänne refereistänne illative refereehenne refereeseenne refereihinne refereisiinne adessive refereellänne refereillänne ablative refereeltänne refereiltänne allative refereellenne refereillenne essive refereenänne refereinänne translative refereeksenne refereiksenne abessive refereettänne refereittänne instructive — — comitative — refereinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative refereensä refereensä accusative nom. refereensä refereensä gen. refereensä genitive refereensä refereidensä refereittensä partitive refereetään refereetänsä refereitään refereitänsä inessive refereessään refereessänsä refereissään refereissänsä elative refereestään refereestänsä refereistään refereistänsä illative refereehensä refereeseensä refereihinsä refereisiinsä adessive refereellään refereellänsä refereillään refereillänsä ablative refereeltään refereeltänsä refereiltään refereiltänsä allative refereelleen refereellensä refereilleen refereillensä essive refereenään refereenänsä refereinään refereinänsä translative refereekseen refereeksensä refereikseen refereiksensä abessive refereettään refereettänsä refereittään refereittänsä instructive — — comitative — refereineen refereinensä

Further reading

• “referee”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 3 July 2023

Spanish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English referee.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /refeˈɾi/ [re.feˈɾi], /ˈrefeɾi/ [ˈre.fe.ɾi]
• Rhymes: -i, -efeɾi
• Syllabification: re‧fe‧ree

Noun

referee m or f by sense (plural referees)

1. alternative form of réferi

Usage notes

According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.

Further reading

• “referee”, in Diccionario de americanismos [Dictionary of Americanisms] (in Spanish), Association of Academies of the Spanish Language [Spanish: Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española], 2010