confer
Americanverb (used without object)
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confers,
present (3rd person singular)
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conferred,
past participle, past
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conferring
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
confers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
conferred,
past participle, past
-
conferring
present participle
-
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
-
was conferringprogressive
-
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
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"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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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:
Part of the appeal is that near-premium cards still confer a sense of exclusivity that doesn’t come with free or lower-fee cards, for instance through airport lounge access.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
“Once a weapon is used in battle, and once it shows itself to confer an advantage, it becomes much more difficult for countries to give that up,” Jenkins said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Different types of workouts also confer their own benefits when it comes to health and weight maintenance.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
That’s why older first-time parents should confer with their own parents to tackle the “who’s going to take care of you?” question.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
They did, however, agree to come to the January 10 meeting in Chicago to confer again and examine the chosen ground.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
"Leisa is a phenomenal talent, and casting directors and filmmakers will be sitting up and taking notice. She has warmth and charisma and that magical but unquantifiable essence that confers star status," he added.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
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
Getting close to the action at such live events confers status, said Jaclyn Sienna India, founder of the concierge agency Sienna Charles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 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
Let each one leave his children every good thing this realm confers upon him!
From "The Odyssey" by Homer
The Crown didn’t take offense; Queen Elizabeth II conferred Stewart’s knighthood in 2010.
From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026
Conscious feelings have more efficacy than nonconscious processes, meaning that once they emerged, they conferred so great an advantage that natural selection had to favor them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
They point to the growing number of countries which have conferred de facto recognition by clinching deals, accrediting diplomats, operating embassies, and more.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
He and Flores sat quietly, wearing headphones for translation while their attorneys conferred with the judge.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Hastily, Root and Burnham conferred and chose five Chicago firms to join the effort, among them Adler & Sullivan.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Gulf states aren’t the only ones conferring with the White House.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
U.S. and allied military planners, meanwhile, have spent months conferring on new blueprints for their combined force structures in Europe, under which the U.S. would reduce its nonnuclear deployments and Europeans would gradually fill gaps.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 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
After conferring with colleagues, the agent walked Minguela back toward his delivery van.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2025
One day I was at the Head Office conferring with the commanding officer.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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