defer

¹ American  

[dih-fur] / dɪˈfɜr /

verb (used with object)

deferred, deferring

1. 

   to put off (action, consideration, etc.) to a future time.

   The decision has been deferred by the board until next week.

2. to exempt temporarily from induction into military service.

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verb (used without object)

deferred, deferring

1. to put off action; delay.

defer ² American  

[dih-fur] / dɪˈfɜr /

verb (used without object)

deferred, deferring

1. to yield respectfully in judgment or opinion (usually followed byto ).

   We all defer to him in these matters.

   Synonyms:

   capitulate, acquiesce, submit, accede

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verb (used with object)

deferred, deferring

1. to submit for decision; refer.

   We defer questions of this kind to the president.

defer ¹ British  

/ dɪˈfɜː /

verb

1. (tr) to delay or cause to be delayed until a future time; postpone

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defer ² British  

/ dɪˈfɜː /

verb

1. to yield (to) or comply (with) the wishes or judgments of another

   I defer to your superior knowledge

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Synonym Usage

Defer, delay, postpone imply keeping something from occurring until a future time. To defer is to decide to do something later on: to defer making a payment. To delay is sometimes equivalent to defer, but usually it is to act in a dilatory manner and thus lay something aside: to delay one's departure. To postpone a thing is to put it off to (usually) some particular time in the future, with the intention of beginning or resuming it then: to postpone an election. procrastinate.

Other Word Forms

• deferrer
  noun
• deferrable
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of defer¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English deferen, differren “to delay”; see defer ² differ

Origin of defer²

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English deferren, from Latin dēferre “to carry from or down, report, accuse,” equivalent to dē- “from, away from, out of” + ferre “to carry”; see de-, bear ¹

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Explanation

Defer means to put off or delay. You can try to defer the inevitable by pushing “snooze” and falling back asleep, but eventually you're going to have to get up. If you're excellent at pushing things to a later date and a master at procrastination, then you already know how to defer. But defer can also mean to comply with another person’s opinion or wishes. So when your boss finds out you deferred your work to shop online instead, you should probably defer when she asks you to come in and finish everything up over the weekend.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

defer deferred deferring

"Thus, hydrodissection merits to be a minimally invasive option for mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome and can defer and even alleviate the need for surgery."

From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026

The move followed warnings that it could end up costing the government money if wealthy people leave the country or defer selling off assets, the Times newspaper reported.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

United States, directed trial judges to defer to commentary issued by the relevant agency—i.e., the Sentencing Commission.

From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026

In practice, the order will defer payment of the Federal excise tax imposed on the fuel for the rest for the year, without penalties or interest.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

This time the black workers refused to defer to the black aristocracy.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

In the past, the court has often deferred to prison officials on their handling and treatment of inmates.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

Many senior staff receive roughly half of their annual compensation in deferred stock.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

He deferred federal taxes on the fuel and authorised supplies designated for farm use to be used in interstate trucking.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

The deferred tax still comes due, on a date the Treasury will set later.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

The rumors were in fact true, though on all constitutional questions Jefferson deferred to Madison’s superior judgment, so he could accept the offer to become America's first secretary of state without political reservations.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Whenever “Primetime” comes close to a deeper truth, the film backs off entirely, deferring to Pattinson to deliver the intended magnitude.

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026

Yes, some of the gains are due to inflation, but the owner also benefits from deferring the tax until the asset is sold.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026

Other cost-cutting measures were also announced, such as deferring wage increases until 2035 and having senior executives forgo base salary increases in 2027 and 2028.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

The payments are the result of the Mets in 2000 deferring the last $5.9 million of his four-year contract after releasing him on the heels of a .160 batting average.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

Once she starts deferring to me, I’ll know that I’ve slipped into the virtual driver’s seat, regardless of who’s actually driving.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

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Related Words

• adjourn
• delay
• extend
• hold up
• postpone
• prolong
• set aside
• shelve
• stall
• suspend
• waive

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