confer
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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to bestow upon as a gift, favor, honor, etc..
to confer a degree on a graduate.
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Obsolete. to compare.
verb
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(tr; foll by on or upon) to grant or bestow (an honour, gift, etc)
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(intr) to hold or take part in a conference or consult together
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(tr) an obsolete word for compare
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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confermentnoun
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conferrernoun
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reconferverb
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preconferverb (used without object)
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conferrableadjective
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nonconferrableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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confersimple
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conferssimple
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have conferredperfect
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has conferredperfect
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am conferringprogressive
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are conferringprogressive
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is conferringprogressive
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have been conferringperfect progressive
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has been conferringperfect progressive
Past
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conferredsimple
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had conferredperfect
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was conferringprogressive
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were conferringprogressive
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had been conferringperfect progressive
Future
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” ( see con-) + ferre “to carry, bear” ( see bear 1)
Explanation
If you gab, chat, and talk it up with someone, you have conversation, but if you're looking for input from each other as you talk, you confer, or consult, together. They had a family meeting to confer about a schedule for sharing the new laptop. Many uses of the verb confer involve consulting with another person or as a group. Confer has a second use meaning "bestow," which means to award or hand over something. You can confer a medal on a winner or hero, or you can confer status through a promotion or assignment. Each year the teacher would confer the special honor of summer hamster-sitter on one responsible student.
Vocabulary lists containing confer
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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Refugee
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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 consequence is to confer substantially greater discretion on the executive.
From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026
On Saturday, we watched Bishop John O. Barres lay hands on Dillon’s head to confer the sacrament of the priesthood on him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
Answering questions, they confer in a huddle before appointing a spokesperson.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
“As a result,” the statement added, “the better course is to complete the meet and confer process and ensure that all concerns are addressed.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
“Please take your belongings into the hallway, and wait with your parents for just a moment. We’ll confer and then come out to announce the next step. But you all did a sensational job!”
From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle
At the heart of the case is the interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment’s Citizenship Clause, which confers citizenship on anyone “born … in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof.”
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
Consequently, the clause confers on Congress especially broad authority over state electoral systems and makes judicial second-guessing of legislation designed to ensure equal representation for all particularly improper.
From Slate ● Jun. 3, 2026
Stories thrive on conflict, which confers an unjust advantage upon the dysfunctional, the belligerent and the wicked.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
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 ● Mar. 6, 2026
I certainly wasn’t seeking any degree, the way a college confers a status symbol upon its students.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
King Charles III conferred royal status on the Port of Barrow for its contribution to national defense.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
Honorary degrees will also be conferred at the University's summer and winter graduation ceremonies, with recipients including musicians Deacon Blue and Eddi Reader.
From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2026
Our founders didn’t believe that power should rest with one person, and that however much was conferred on the president, it was temporary.
From Salon ● Mar. 29, 2026
And interviewing a sitting president has long conferred prestige, which might well feel paramount amid shrinking audiences and newsroom layoffs.
From Slate ● Mar. 18, 2026
As time went on and the benefits he had conferred upon the town receded in time they sat on his store porch while he was busy inside and discussed him.
From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston
Other newfangled ways of accessing private markets have also crept onto investors’ radar in recent years, including digital stock tokens designed to mirror a company’s share-price performance without conferring actual ownership rights.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 2026
Bain firmly she rejected accusations of corruption and conferring political advantage.
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2026
"After conferring with the league office, because Lamar didn't take starter reps in practice, we updated our report to reflect his practice participation," the Ravens said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2025
Usually if you have something come out and really start to spread internationally, and grow and take over, there’s some pretty apparent change that is conferring that kind of advantage to it.
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2024
The senior staff, conferring in self-important groups at the corridor intersections, were nursing a secret.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
