definitions
  • synonyms

confer

[ kuh n-fur ]
/ kənˈfɜr /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR confer 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.

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RELATED WORDS

huddle, negotiate, consult, advise, argue, brainstorm, speak, provide, bestow, grant, confab, flap, deal, parley, jaw, converse, blitz, bargain, gab, powwow

Nearby words

confederate states of america, confederate war, confederation, confederation, articles of, confederative, confer, conferee, conference, conference call, conference on security and cooperation in europe, conference pear

Origin of confer

1400–50 for earlier sense “to summon”; 1520–30 for current senses; late Middle English conferen < Latin conferre to bring together, compare, consult with, equivalent to con- con- + ferre to carry, bear1
Related forms

Synonym study

1. See consult. 2. See give.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for confer

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
Derived Formsconferment or conferral, nounconferrable, adjectiveconferrer, noun

Word Origin for confer

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

Word Origin and History for confer

confer

v.

1530s, from Middle French conférer (14c.) "to give, converse, compare," from Latin conferre "to bring together," figuratively "to compare; consult, deliberate, talk over," from com- "together" (see com-) + ferre "to bear" (see infer). Sense of "taking counsel" led to conference. The meaning "compare" (common 1530-1650) is largely obsolete, but the abbreviation cf. still is used in this sense. Related: Conferred; conferring.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper