defer

¹

[ dih-fur ]

verb (used with object)

, de·ferred, de·fer·ring.

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.

verb (used without object)

, de·ferred, de·fer·ring.

1. to put off action; delay.

defer

²

[ dih-fur ]

verb (used without object)

, de·ferred, de·fer·ring.

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

   We all defer to him in these matters.

   Synonyms: capitulate, acquiesce, submit, accede

verb (used with object)

, de·ferred, de·fer·ring.

1. to submit for decision; refer:

   We defer questions of this kind to the president.

defer

¹

/ dɪˈfɜː /

verb

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

   I defer to your superior knowledge

defer

²

/ dɪˈfɜː /

verb

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

Derived Forms

• deˈferrer, noun
• deˈferrable, adjective

Other Words From

• de·ferrer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of defer¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English deferen, differren “to delay”; 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”; de-, bear ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of defer¹

C15: from Latin dēferre, literally: to bear down, from de- + ferre to bear

Origin of defer²

C14: from Old French differer to be different, postpone; see differ

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Additionally, House Speaker Mike Johnson signaled over the weekend that appropriations decisions might be deferred to early 2025.

From Salon

He believes the prosecution will likely push to have Trump’s sentencing deferred until 2029.

From Salon

But deferred dreams never die in the streaming era, where emerging platforms are hungry for content that can put them on the map.

From Los Angeles Times

“I had hoped they would engage constructively with me during the legislative process. I was not surprised when they did not. I defer to the DOJ on any lawsuits,” Berman said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times

Hed’ always been quiet – and quick to defer to others around him.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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