may refer to vs may refer

Both "may refer to" and "may refer" are correct, but they are used in slightly different contexts. "May refer to" is commonly used when introducing a term or concept that needs further explanation, while "may refer" is used when suggesting a possibility without specifying what it refers to.

Last updated: March 29, 2024 • 1900 views

may refer to

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

This phrase is used when introducing a term or concept that needs further explanation. It is often followed by the specific term or concept being referred to.

Examples:

The term 'global warming' may refer to the increase in Earth's average surface temperature.
The symbol '+' may refer to addition in mathematics.
The word 'cat' may refer to a small domesticated carnivorous mammal.

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This financial operation can also take place between other institutional sectors and may refer to securities instead of loans.
1. The declaration referred to in Article 4 may refer to more than one shipment, provided that:
Such general instructions, guidelines or requests may refer to groups or categories of credit institutions.
Initiatives may refer to one of the above-mentioned specific areas or combine several specific areas.
Information published on Performers Club and driveIT may refer to products, programs or services that are not available in your country.
1. Only producers complying with the product specification may refer to a traditional speciality guaranteed on the labelling, advertising or other documents relating to an agricultural product or foodstuff.
Discard data may refer to parts of the group of vessel
To the extent that the contract award notice drawn up pursuant to Article 70 or Article 92(2) contains the information required in this paragraph, contracting entities may refer to that notice.
For these groups, this competence may refer to an official language, rather than to a foreign language.
The confirmation of OTC derivative contracts may refer to one or more master agreements, master confirmation agreements, or other standard terms. It may take the form of an electronically executed contract or a document signed by both counterparties.
Those standards may refer to factors which are not purely economic, but influence the value of a tender from the point of view of the contracting authority or contracting entity and permit it to identify an overall economic advantage to the contracting authority or the contracting entity.
a building may refer to the building as a whole or parts thereof that have been designed or altered to be used separately;
'The competent authorities may refer to EBA situations where:
You may refer to us simply as Langley.
However, providers may refer to this Regulation to determine the format of the inventory.
These additional data may refer to the breakdowns marked in Table 1A other than the «minimum requirements».
You may refer to me as the Beast.
If I may refer to it in the 3rd person.
It may refer to cross-border cooperation measures, or to other structural measures.
This list is not exhaustive: the applicant may refer to other factors.

Alternatives:

can refer to
might refer to
could refer to
refers to

may refer

This phrase is correct but less commonly used in English.

This phrase is used when suggesting a possibility without specifying what it refers to. It leaves the reference open-ended.