conferring

American  

[kuhn-fur-ing] / kənˈfɜr ɪŋ /

noun

1. the presentation of a degree, honor, gift, etc..

   The ceremony included the conferring of 330 undergraduate and 46 graduate degrees.

2. the act of consulting with someone or carrying on a discussion or deliberation.

   Conferring is a critical step in reflecting on our writing and ultimately improving it.

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adjective

1. relating to the presentation of a degree, honor, gift, etc..

   Provide the title of the diploma or degree received, the name of the conferring institution, and its city and state.

2. involved in or relating to a discussion or consultation.

   He looked over at the conferring soldiers, deep in conversation and seemingly oblivious to their surroundings.

Etymology

Origin of conferring

First recorded in 1555–65; confer ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses; confer ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses

Example Sentences

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

A firefighting aircraft was able to fly over the fire Monday and was conferring with firefighters on the ground to decide whether it would be possible to use more aircraft, Theune said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 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

But Indians in the US face the longest wait of any foreign nationality to receive a green card conferring lawful permanent residency.

From BBC • Feb. 10, 2025

I noticed them conferring over the dead, naked turkeys on the back porch, speaking low in Spanish.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly