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confer

[ kuhn-fur ]
/ kənˈfɜr /
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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.
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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

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

How to use confer in a sentence

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 forms of confer

conferment 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
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