referred at

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "referred at" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct expression is "referred to." Example: "The document was referred to in the meeting as a key resource for our discussion."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

All referred AT patients accepted an invitation to be part of the evaluation and were therefore included in the study.

BMC Health Services Research

An earlier version referred at first mention to reducing milk by a third rather than two-thirds.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

(Putin, almost in tears, referred at his funeral to a man "hounded to his death" by enemies in the pre-Putin Kremlin).

The New York Times - Magazine

In the interval, Nicholas had largely ignored Sendak and had not referred at all to the watercolor, which his mother had hung above his bed.

The New Yorker

Francis was cited for the offence which was referred at the time by the referee, Craig Joubert, to the television match official.

The Guardian - Sport

Mark Hughes, who for the record is not the manager to whom I referred at the start of this column, summarises the delicacy of the situation perfectly.

Independent

Caio Koch-Weser, the half-Brazilian, half-German vice chairman of Deutsche Bank, referred at the Edelman event more bluntly to a "crisis in leadership".

The New York Times

The piece was a fascinating read about a radical underwater workout in Malibu, but it referred at first to the Wasps fly-half as something called a "fly back".

The Guardian - Sport

Mr. Clement referred at one point Monday to "carnage and wreckage" in the federal criminal justice system, and began his argument by noting that federal courts impose 1,200 criminal sentences every week.

The New York Times

And Angela Davis, a professor at the Santa Cruz campus, referred at the memorial to "the swirling controversies" and "unrelenting homophobic attacks" that she said Dr. Denton had endured.

The New York Times

In a dissent he wrote that was released on Thursday, about a case dealing with sentences for crack and powder cocaine, he referred at one point to "the mischief of" the majority opinion.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "referred to" instead of "referred at". "Referred to" is the correct grammatical form and is widely accepted in both formal and informal contexts.

Common error

Avoid using the preposition "at" after "referred". The correct preposition is "to". For example, instead of saying "The document referred at the meeting...", say "The document referred to the meeting...".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "referred at" functions as a verb followed by a preposition. However, it's important to note that it is grammatically incorrect. According to Ludwig AI, the correct form is "referred to."

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

66%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "referred at" appears in some contexts, it is grammatically incorrect. The correct and widely accepted form is ""referred to"". As Ludwig AI points out, using "referred at" is a grammatical error that should be avoided in both formal and informal writing. The examples found by Ludwig show that despite its occasional use, it's essential to adhere to the standard English grammar rule of using "to" after "referred". Always double-check your preposition usage to ensure clarity and correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

referred to

This is the correct and standard way to express that something was mentioned or directed towards something else.

alluded to

Implies a more indirect reference, suggesting something without explicitly mentioning it.

made reference to

Emphasizes the act of mentioning something, often in a formal context.

pointed to

Suggests directing attention towards something, often as evidence or an example.

directed towards

Highlights the action of guiding or channeling something in a specific direction.

related to

Indicates a connection or association between two or more things.

connected with

Similar to "related to", but may imply a stronger or more direct link.

associated with

Suggests a less direct or formal connection than "related to".

linked to

Implies a causal or sequential relationship between items.

attributed to

Indicates that something is believed to be caused by or associated with a particular person or thing.

FAQs

What is the correct way to use "referred" in a sentence?

The correct way is to use "referred to". For example, "The study "referred to" several previous works on the subject".

Is it ever correct to say "referred at"?

No, "referred at" is not grammatically correct in standard English. The correct phrasing is ""referred to"".

What are some alternatives to ""referred to""?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "mentioned", "cited", or "alluded to".

How can I avoid making mistakes with prepositions after "referred"?

Always double-check that you are using "to" after "referred". Using other prepositions like "at", "in", or "on" is grammatically incorrect.