Synonyms

postponement

American

[pohst-pohn-muhnt, pohs-] / poʊstˈpoʊn mənt, poʊs- /

noun

the act of putting something off to a later time; deferral.

Taking your sick or injured pet to the veterinarian should be prompt, as any postponement can lead to ongoing medical issues.
the act of placing a thing below something else in importance or after something else in sequence (now used most often in grammar).

Historically, inheritance laws tended toward a postponement of the claims of female kin to those of male kin.
In English, the end position in a sentence is normally reserved for the key point, so postponement of an element is a way of emphasizing it.

Other Word Forms

nonpostponement noun
self-postponement noun

Etymology

Origin of postponement

postpone ( def. ) + -ment ( def. )

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.

He revealed “productive” talks with Iran and the postponement of strikes on power plants for five days, and within minutes Dow futures surged more than 1,000 points and oil prices plunged 10%.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

Oparanozie said the postponement could have a physical and mental impact on players, who were already preparing for the tournament.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026

CPO prices are likely to be capped by a stronger ringgit, the postponement of Indonesia’s B50 biodesel mandate and higher Malaysian stock levels, IOI Corp.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

The company, backed by Blackstone, aimed to raise $762 million at a $5.5 billion valuation before the postponement.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

Spassky wanted a short postponement before the start of the match.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023