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:
The scientists found that "superheating," which occurs when magma becomes hotter than the temperature at which crystals remain stable, can postpone crystal formation as the magma moves toward the surface.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026
On July 24, Paramount’s legal team agreed to postpone the merger pending the outcome of the states’ antitrust case.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
Last Thursday, it was forced to postpone the latest test of the Starship rocket after some engines failed to start, according to CEO Elon Musk.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
In 2005, Hall & Oates had to postpone a series of shows after Hall was diagnosed with Lyme disease.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
Arm hoped the roach family would postpone their happy hour until later.
From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer
The deal, set to be signed Friday, also postpones rather than resolves the conflict’s central disputes.
From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026
Gen. Ambrose Burnside as commander of the Army of the Potomac, “but if the couchant lion postpones his spring too long, people will begin wondering whether he is not a stuffed specimen after all.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 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
It postpones certain tax-filing deadlines for Americans and their spouses who are wrongfully detained or held hostage abroad.
From Slate ● Nov. 20, 2024
The son postpones his expression and leans against a jungle to a fourth encore of the tuneful Thanatopsis.
From Just Around the Corner Romance en casserole by Fannie Hurst
Putellas was hoping to have dinner with England international and ex-Barcelona team-mate Keira Walsh last week but it had to be postponed.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
The hearings were postponed until October, with those charged "not required to attend court", according to a letter distributed outside by the Courts and Tribunals Service.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
Looking to avoid an embarrassing L, the committee postponed the Blanche vote, which had been scheduled for Thursday.
From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2026
Cornyn postponed a meeting with Blanche on Wednesday morning, saying he had made clear from the outset that he expected a written proposal to modify the IRS settlement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
“This detention’s already been postponed once; Snape did it for Dumbledore, but he won’t do it for anyone else.”
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
But only hours before the scheduled ceremony, he announced he was postponing the executive order because he did not want to take away America’s competitive advantage over China and other countries.
From Salon ● May 24, 2026
This month, city officials declined to sign off on even the scaled-back ban -- postponing the decision to June and throwing its planned July 1 implementation into question.
From Barron's ● May 19, 2026
The budget gym operator added fewer members in the March quarter than it did a year earlier, and now it’s postponing plans to charge more for some memberships.
From MarketWatch ● May 8, 2026
Markets traded nervously after the U.S. expressed skepticism in response to an offer from Iran that would open the Strait of Hormuz while postponing talks on Tehran’s nuclear capabilities, The Wall Street Journal reported.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 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
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.
