deferred
Americanadjective
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postponed or delayed.
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suspended or withheld for or until a certain time or event.
a deferred payment; deferred taxes.
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classified as temporarily exempt from induction into military service.
adjective
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withheld over a certain period; postponed
a deferred payment
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(of shares) ranking behind other types of shares for dividend
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of deferred
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.
The most difficult issues have been deferred, not resolved.
From BBC • Jun. 18, 2026
The proposed new arrangement cuts deferred compensation and health benefits, changes some commissions, and could reduce agents’ gross annual income by up to 40%.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026
This is the story of what happens to a dream deferred in the dusty apartments, drag clubs and secluded rivers of Colombia in the 1990s.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
Looney, a BP lifer, ended up forgoing as much as $40.6 million in deferred bonuses, salary, pension and other compensation that might have come his way.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
She deferred to her husband, and he was unbending.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
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.
