confer
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
-
to bestow upon as a gift, favor, honor, etc..
to confer a degree on a graduate.
-
Obsolete. to compare.
verb
-
(tr; foll by on or upon) to grant or bestow (an honour, gift, etc)
-
(intr) to hold or take part in a conference or consult together
-
(tr) an obsolete word for compare
Related Words
Other Word Forms
- conferment noun
- conferrable adjective
- conferrer noun
- nonconferrable adjective
- preconfer verb (used without object)
- reconfer verb
Etymology
Origin of confer
First recorded in 1400–50 for earlier sense “to summon”; 1520–30 for current senses; late Middle English conferen, from Latin conferre “to bring together, compare, consult with,” equivalent to con- “with, together, completely” ( con- ) + ferre “to carry, bear” ( bear 1 )
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.
"Individuals recovering from severe viral pneumonia, particularly those with smoking history, may benefit from enhanced lung cancer surveillance, and preventing severe infection through vaccination may confer indirect cancer protection benefits."
From Science Daily
At the time, researchers were not sure why northern Pacific populations were not infected, but suspected previous or milder strains of the virus conferred some immunity.
From Los Angeles Times
Goldman Sachs and Bank of New York Mellon also partnered to launch digital tokens that confer ownership of money-market funds managed by many of the biggest investment firms.
The fact that they’re already in the S&P MidCap 400, however, confers a potential advantage over companies not in that smaller index, Roberts noted.
From MarketWatch
These are structural properties that survived billions of years of optimization because maintaining them conferred advantage.
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.
