confer

[ kuhn-fur ]

See synonyms for: confer conferred conferring confers on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object),con·ferred, con·fer·ring.

to consult together; compare opinions; carry on a discussion or deliberation.

verb (used with object),con·ferred, con·fer·ring.

to bestow upon as a gift, favor, honor, etc.: to confer a degree on a graduate.
Obsolete. to compare.

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” (see con-) + ferre “to carry, bear” (see bear¹)

synonym study For confer

1. See consult. 2. See give.

Other words from confer

con·fer·ment, noun
con·fer·ra·ble, adjective
con·fer·rer, noun
non·con·fer·ra·ble, adjective
pre·con·fer, verb (used without object), pre·con·ferred, pre·con·fer·ring.
re·con·fer, verb, re·con·ferred, re·con·fer·ring.

Words Nearby confer

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use confer in a sentence

The teams conferred with one another as they drafted their respective documents.
Why kids need special protection from AI’s influence | Karen Hao | September 17, 2020 | MIT Technology Review
An omnipresent subjecthood confers onto the natural world the characteristics of a psyche.
What the Meadow Teaches Us - Issue 90: Something Green | Andreas Weber | September 16, 2020 | Nautilus
More quietly, however, other scientists are investigating whether a vaccine that has already been in use for decades could also confer some level of protection.
‘Trained Immunity’ Offers Hope in Fight Against Coronavirus | Esther Landhuis | September 14, 2020 | Quanta Magazine
Gene losses in evolution may sound like damaging events, since genes confer the traits that make life and health possible.
By Losing Genes, Life Often Evolved More Complexity | Viviane Callier | September 1, 2020 | Quanta Magazine
“We can’t rely on chemistry to spray our way out of this,” Goodman, a chemist himself, said as the commissioners conferred after the public’s comments.
Genetically modified mosquitoes have been OK’d for a first U.S. test flight | Susan Milius | August 22, 2020 | Science News

But that was so yesterday, much like his contention that he lacked the power to unilaterally confer amnesty.
With Immigration Move, Obama and the Welfare Party Strike Again | Lloyd Green | November 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Colleges churn out graduates and confer advanced degrees, but the scramble for jobs continues.
How Young People Are Destroying Liberty | James Poulos | October 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The firemen confer with the organizers and then beckon them toward the front of the bus.
On the Road With Kesey's (Drug-Free) Acid Test | Nina Strochlic | August 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Walter worships objects and cash, believing they will magically confer upon him the social status he so desperately craves.
Is There a Ma Joad for the Piketty Era? | Katie Baker | July 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Now Hunter wanted to confer an honorary doctorate on me, and I needed to find the words to properly convey how honored I felt.
A College Degree Worth the Wait | Eleanor Clift | June 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
We shall, I know, emulate their steadfastness and achieve a result which will confer added laurels to French and British arms.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian Hamilton
Scattergood, out of the corner of his eye, saw them rush together and confer frenziedly.
Scattergood Baines | Clarence Budington Kelland
Mr. Monterey will confer with us at noon, and before school is dismissed to-day we will announce the winner.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage | Gertrude W. Morrison
Been dropping in to confer with the vice-president about the local real estate situation.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942 | Various
After that he and Mert, as by a common thought impelled, climbed out and went over to a bushy live oak to confer in privacy.
Cabin Fever | B. M. Bower

British Dictionary definitions for confer

confer

/ (kənˈfɜː) /

verb-fers, -ferring or -ferred

(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

Origin of confer

C16: from Latin conferre to gather together, compare, from com- together + ferre to bring

Derived forms of confer

conferment or conferral, noun
conferrable, adjective
conferrer, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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