confer
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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to bestow upon as a gift, favor, honor, etc..
to confer a degree on a graduate.
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Obsolete. to compare.
verb
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(tr; foll by on or upon) to grant or bestow (an honour, gift, etc)
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(intr) to hold or take part in a conference or consult together
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(tr) an obsolete word for compare
Related Words
Other Word Forms
- conferment noun
- conferrable adjective
- conferrer noun
- nonconferrable adjective
- preconfer verb (used without object)
- reconfer verb
Etymology
Origin of confer
First recorded in 1400–50 for earlier sense “to summon”; 1520–30 for current senses; late Middle English conferen, from Latin conferre “to bring together, compare, consult with,” equivalent to con- “with, together, completely” ( con- ) + ferre “to carry, bear” ( bear 1 )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But, it said, court decisions, the county’s Employee Relations Commission and the law “require that the County ... meet and confer with labor partners about the impacts before documents are shared. Those discussions are underway.”
From Los Angeles Times
Clare had previously always conferred with the all-knowing Afterlife, so, for the sake of the charade, he closed his eye, pretending to do just that.
From Literature
Baghaei said that there have been no direct negotiations, but only messages through intermediaries stating that the U.S. wants to confer.
From Los Angeles Times
Our founders didn’t believe that power should rest with one person, and that however much was conferred on the president, it was temporary.
From Salon
The intelligence, logistics and decision-making advantages that AI systems confer will deliver near-term military gains and compounding advantages that endure far into the future.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
