Mean
Mean verb - To communicate or convey (as an idea) to the mind.
Usage example: the national anthem means various things to various people
Common collocations
Both words in one sentence
- Although he is not the only individual to hold that title, if you refer to Lord Byron (whose name was George Gordon), people generally know whom you mean.
Source: Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep" -
Then again, the word "tenka" can mean "world", but is often used to refer specifically to Japan, making it a translation error.
Source: Franchise / Onimusha - The subbers also sometimes seemed confused as to when the word "Yugi" was being used to mean "Game" and when it was being used to refer to the character.
Cite this Source
Refer and Mean. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 13, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/mean/refer
Mean & Refer. N.p., 2016. Web. 13 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/mean/refer>.
Refer or Mean. 2016. Accessed August 13, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/mean/refer.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "mean" and "refer" have occurred on timeline