defer

[ dih-fur ]

See synonyms for: defer deferred deferring on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),de·ferred, de·fer·ring.

to put off (action, consideration, etc.) to a future time: The decision has been deferred by the board until next week.
to exempt temporarily from induction into military service.

verb (used without object),de·ferred, de·fer·ring.

to put off action; delay.

Origin of defer

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English deferen, differren “to delay”; see defer² differ

synonym study For defer

1. 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. 3. procrastinate.

word story For defer

Defer “to put off, delay” comes from Middle English deferen, differren “to put off, delay, be different, differentiate, refer a matter for decision; defer to, show respect or deference to,” from Old French def(f)erer, dif(f)erer “to have different qualities, be different, be dissimilar,” from Latin differre “to carry away, carry in different directions, differ, postpone, adjourn.” Differre is composed of the prefix dif- (a variant of dis- used before f ) “apart, asunder” and the simple verb ferre “to carry, bear.”
Defer and differ were originally the same word, but spellings with def- for etymologically correct dif-, which first appeared in the 15th century, have become standard in part because of the sense “to put off, delay” (absent in differ ), in part because of the accent being on the root (second) syllable, and in part through association with delay .
The meaning “to exempt temporarily from military service” first appeared in 1941.

Other words from defer

de·fer·rer, noun

Words Nearby defer

Other definitions for defer (2 of 2)

defer²

[ dih-fur ]

verb (used without object),de·ferred, de·fer·ring.

to yield respectfully in judgment or opinion (usually followed by to): We all defer to him in these matters.

verb (used with object),de·ferred, de·fer·ring.

to submit for decision; refer: We defer questions of this kind to the president.

Origin of defer

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-, bear¹

word story For defer

Defer comes from Old French def(f)erer “to yield to, comply with,” from Latin dēferre “to carry, carry down, convey, report, inform, inform against, denounce.” Dēferre is a compound of the prefix and preposition dē-, dē, indicating privation, removal, and separation, and the simple verb ferre “to carry, bear” ( dēferre has no sense “to yield respectfully”). The sense “to yield respectfully, pay deference to,” which developed from the earlier sense “to submit for decision,” dates from the second half of the 17th century.

Other words for defer

1	accede, submit, acquiesce, capitulate

See synonyms for defer on Thesaurus.com

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

How to use defer in a sentence

The only way such changes would occur is if Congress passes a law to forgive the collection of payroll taxes deferred under the order—a move supported by both the President and the signatories of Tuesday’s letter.
Business groups don’t expect to implement Trump’s ‘unworkable’ payroll order | Jeff | August 18, 2020 | Fortune
An HHS spokesperson in response to a Washington Blade inquiry on enforcement deferred the Justice Department, which didn’t respond to a request to comment.
Judge blocks Trump admin from enforcing anti-trans health care rule | Chris Johnson | August 17, 2020 | Washington Blade
If the number of deferred applicants who queue up to join college in 2021 is significantly larger than usual, that cuts into the number of seats available for new high school graduates.
Is School Out Forever? | Daniel Malloy | August 9, 2020 | Ozy
That dreamy Mediterranean breeze will have to remain a dream deferred.
The (Deferred) Class of 2020 | Sandya Kola | August 9, 2020 | Ozy
When sports initially went off air in March, most advertisers deferred the money they had planned to spend on TV sporting events until major sports returned.
Shut out of Fire TV and Roku, Peacock is the latest example of the arrival power moves to streaming | Tim Peterson | July 15, 2020 | Digiday

Or will we simply see more senseless bloodshed and another generation of Palestinians defer their dreams of a homeland?
In the Middle East, the Two-State Solution Is Dead | Dean Obeidallah | January 2, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
Owens also accused her of making far more than she claims to need in order to defer the costs of her $58,000 tuition.
Duke's Freshman Porn Starlet Isn't Ashamed—and She Shouldn't Be | Emily Shire | February 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
So did Rush simply defer to the Pontiff when he was speaking about caring for the poor and helping those in need.
How to Be Loved Like Rush Limbaugh, the 9th Most Admired Person in the US | Dean Obeidallah | January 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The president respects him and has been known to defer to him.
Afghan Elections: The Warlords Are Back | Ron Moreau, Sami Yousafzai | October 16, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Messina asked to defer the conversation until after the midterm elections of 2010.
No Drama Obama’s Dramatic 2012 Reelection Campaign | Richard Wolffe | September 12, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
The Ordinance of Covenanting | John Cunningham
Lady Engleton received the impression that Mrs. Temperley was too sure of her own judgment to defer even to the wisest.
The Daughters of Danaus | Mona Caird
The war, which then existed between the Persians and the Turks, could not make him defer the execution of his pious enterprise.
Superstition In All Ages (1732) | Jean Meslier
The answer to my invitation was that much as she would love to see me we should have to defer our meeting to some other time.
Ways of War and Peace | Delia Austrian
But as my marriage will lead me into far different scenes, I shall, if you please, defer them till some other evening.
The Adopted Daughter | Elizabeth Sandham

British Dictionary definitions for defer (1 of 2)

defer¹

/ (dɪˈfɜː) /

verb-fers, -ferring or -ferred

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

Origin of defer

C14: from Old French differer to be different, postpone; see differ

Derived forms of defer

deferrable or deferable, adjective
deferrer, noun

British Dictionary definitions for defer (2 of 2)

defer²

/ (dɪˈfɜː) /

verb-fers, -ferring or -ferred

(intr foll by to) to yield (to) or comply (with) the wishes or judgments of another: I defer to your superior knowledge

Origin of defer

C15: from Latin dēferre, literally: to bear down, from de- + ferre to bear

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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