defer

¹ American  

[dih-fur] / dɪˈfɜr /

verb (used with object)

deferred, deferring

1. 

   to put off (action, consideration, etc.) to a future time.

   The decision has been deferred by the board until next week.

2. to exempt temporarily from induction into military service.

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verb (used without object)

deferred, deferring

1. to put off action; delay.

defer ² American  

[dih-fur] / dɪˈfɜr /

verb (used without object)

deferred, deferring

1. to yield respectfully in judgment or opinion (usually followed byto ).

   We all defer to him in these matters.

   Synonyms:

   capitulate, acquiesce, submit, accede

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verb (used with object)

deferred, deferring

1. to submit for decision; refer.

   We defer questions of this kind to the president.

defer ¹ British  

/ dɪˈfɜː /

verb

1. (tr) to delay or cause to be delayed until a future time; postpone

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defer ² British  

/ dɪˈfɜː /

verb

1. to yield (to) or comply (with) the wishes or judgments of another

   I defer to your superior knowledge

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Synonym Usage

Defer, delay, postpone imply keeping something from occurring until a future time. To defer is to decide to do something later on: to defer making a payment. To delay is sometimes equivalent to defer, but usually it is to act in a dilatory manner and thus lay something aside: to delay one's departure. To postpone a thing is to put it off to (usually) some particular time in the future, with the intention of beginning or resuming it then: to postpone an election. procrastinate.

Other Word Forms

• deferrer
  noun
• deferrable
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of defer¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English deferen, differren “to delay”; see defer ² differ

Origin of defer²

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English deferren, from Latin dēferre “to carry from or down, report, accuse,” equivalent to dē- “from, away from, out of” + ferre “to carry”; see de-, bear ¹

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Explanation

Defer means to put off or delay. You can try to defer the inevitable by pushing “snooze” and falling back asleep, but eventually you're going to have to get up. If you're excellent at pushing things to a later date and a master at procrastination, then you already know how to defer. But defer can also mean to comply with another person’s opinion or wishes. So when your boss finds out you deferred your work to shop online instead, you should probably defer when she asks you to come in and finish everything up over the weekend.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

defer deferred deferring

"Thus, hydrodissection merits to be a minimally invasive option for mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome and can defer and even alleviate the need for surgery."

From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026

That move will defer payment of the federal tax of 24.4 cents a gallon on diesel through the end of the year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

United States, directed trial judges to defer to commentary issued by the relevant agency—i.e., the Sentencing Commission.

From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026

In practice, the order will defer payment of the Federal excise tax imposed on the fuel for the rest for the year, without penalties or interest.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

Northeastern Indians were appalled by the European propensity to divide themselves into social classes, with those on the lower rungs of the hierarchy compelled to defer to those on the upper.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

The state contributed $80 million to the Oschin Center’s creation, and it is spending another $450 million on Expo’s deferred maintenance, accessibility and a new park along the complex’s south edge.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

In the past, the court has often deferred to prison officials on their handling and treatment of inmates.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

Under the U.K. government’s proposal, the SFO would award whistleblowers who provide information that is “both significant and original” and that leads to a successful enforcement action against a company, including a deferred prosecution agreement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

At Liverpool, the belief is they have been sensible and responsible with a view to deferred gratification in most cases, but the wage structure is currently under review.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Vain favour! coming, like most other favours long deferred and often wished for, too late!

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

The Medical Examiner hasn’t yet released a cause or manner of death for Hoyos-Munoz, writing that it was deferring its decision for now.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026

Yes, some of the gains are due to inflation, but the owner also benefits from deferring the tax until the asset is sold.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026

Other cost-cutting measures were also announced, such as deferring wage increases until 2035 and having senior executives forgo base salary increases in 2027 and 2028.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

But a spoof is under no obligation to turn that one joke into a full narrative as it does by deferring to a younger cast, and only checking in with the franchise’s original players occasionally.

From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026

“Good morning, Auntie,” she said, deferring to the respectful greeting for an elder.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

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Related Words

• adjourn
• delay
• extend
• hold up
• postpone
• prolong
• set aside
• shelve
• stall
• suspend
• waive

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