postpone
Americanverb (used with object)
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postpones,
present (3rd person singular)
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postponed,
past participle, past
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postponing
present participle
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to put off to a later time; defer.
He has postponed his departure until tomorrow.
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to place after in order of importance or estimation; subordinate.
to postpone private ambitions to the public welfare.
verb
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to put off or delay until a future time
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to put behind in order of importance; defer
Synonym Usage
See defer 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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postponementnoun
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postponernoun
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repostponeverb (used with object)
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nonpostponableadjective
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postponableadjective
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unpostponableadjective
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unpostponedadjective
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well-postponedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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postponesimple
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postponessimple
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have postponedperfect
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has postponedperfect
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am postponingprogressive
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are postponingprogressive
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is postponingprogressive
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have been postponingperfect progressive
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has been postponingperfect progressive
Past
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postponedsimple
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had postponedperfect
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was postponingprogressive
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were postponingprogressive
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had been postponingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of postpone
First recorded in 1490–1500; from Latin postpōnere “to put after, lay aside,” equivalent to post- post- + pōnere “to put”
Explanation
To postpone something is to put it off until later. You can postpone an appointment today and reschedule it for tomorrow. Anything you're putting for is being postponed: people postpone things they don't have time to do or just don't want to do. Since doctor and dental appointments are no fun, people postpone them a lot. You can postpone small things, like going to the store or watching a video. The government can postpone big things, like the passing of bills or the invasion of another country. People who procrastinate are constantly postponing. When you see the word postpone, think "Later!"
Vocabulary lists containing postpone
Anti-Antonyms: Words Without Opposites
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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.
See Examples For:
Michigan and Ohio State should postpone their annual rivalry game and try to book the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026
The decision to postpone the 2027 Asian Cup means a number of Premier League players will not have to miss part of the current season.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
The conference is one of several events the kingdom has been forced to modify, cancel or postpone amid the wave of attacks on Saudi airports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
The supervisor of New York City’s pension funds, one of the largest in the United States, asked Anthropic to postpone its stock market debut until risks posed by its artificial intelligence technology are better controlled.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
It would postpone her running away only twenty-seven cents worth.
From "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" by E.L. Konigsburg
Plus: Oura postpones IPO over market uncertainty; Goldman board discusses plan to name John Waldron next CEO; Nvidia adds $150 billion to buyback plan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
The deal, set to be signed Friday, also postpones rather than resolves the conflict’s central disputes.
From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026
Plus, Trump postpones AI order, and ‘The Sound of Music’ is the secret to U.S.-China diplomacy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
With ex-husband Brandon Blackstock ill, Clarkson postpones the balance of her August residency dates in Las Vegas so she can be ‘fully present’ for her kids.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2025
Much inconvenience may be felt by a lady whose command of money is small, when a friend living in a distant place, and probably in opulent circumstances, neglects or postpones the payment of these sums.
From The Ladies' Guide to True Politeness and Perfect Manners or, Miss Leslie's Behaviour Book by Eliza Leslie
Fears of an AI-powered white-collar “job apocalypse” may have to be postponed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026
The Halloween party was rescheduled “due to weather conditions beyond our control” and postponed to Nov. 7.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026
This is the second successive Asian Cup to be postponed after the 2023 tournament was moved to 2024 and to Qatar from China because of the Covid pandemic.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
It wasn't until April of this year, when a photographer emailed to check in on her postponed wedding plans, that she realised she had to make a decision.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
Morning announcements were postponed, replaced by stern instructions over the P.A. system—that all students were to line up outside their first-period classes—which no one heard.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
I don’t think I realize it when I’m paying in the moment, but putting my card down has become a way to financially people-please by postponing the conversation about the bill.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Still, there is something peculiar about postponing industry-wide traceability requirements while ordinary shoppers are left scanning their broccoli with smartphones, hoping to learn something useful about where it came from.
From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2026
“It’s not fair to you to keep postponing the shows, and even though it breaks my heart, it’s best that we cancel everything now until I’m really ready to be back on stage again.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
Castellucci is accused of postponing work on pier number 9 and faces 18 years in prison.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
“I don’t think any of us are in shape to leave on vacation right now. Or to enjoy it. We’re postponing the trip.”
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
