referral
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A document used by schools detailing some form of a student's misbehavior and listing the actions taken before and after the student's receipt of the referral.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
After misbehaving in class, George was given a referral for disrupting class and sent to the office.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “referral” mean?
A document used by schools detailing some form of a student's misbehavior and listing the actions taken before and after the student's receipt of the referral.
Is “referral” formal or informal?
referral is generally slang.