defer

¹

[ dih-fur ]

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.

verb (used without object)

deferred, deferring.

1. to put off action; delay.

defer

²

[ dih-fur ]

verb (used without object)

deferred, deferring.

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)

deferred, deferring.

1. to submit for decision; refer:

   We defer questions of this kind to the president.

defer

¹

/ dɪˈfɜː /

verb

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

defer

²

/ dɪˈfɜː /

verb

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

   I defer to your superior knowledge

Derived Forms

• deˈferrer, noun
• deˈferrable, adjective

Other Word Forms

• 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

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

Origin of defer²

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

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

Whether you’re filing your taxes today or deferring to a later date, you can still take advantage of these discounts and deals offered today and in some cases throughout the week.

From Los Angeles Times

A Disneyland spokesperson declined to comment and deferred questions to the Anaheim Police Department.

From Los Angeles Times

Another Aeschylean drama, “The Suppliant Women,” shows King Pelasgus deferring to the Argive assembly when confronted with the Danaids’ plea for asylum.

From Salon

You can defer tax on this gain if you use the insurance payout to rebuild or buy a replacement property, says Mark Luscombe, a principal analyst with Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting.

From Los Angeles Times

The Dodgers gladly — perhaps even gleefully — defer to the New York Mets.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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