defer

¹

[dih-fur]

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.

verb (used without object)

deferred, deferring 

1. to put off action; delay.

defer

²

[dih-fur]

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

verb (used with object)

deferred, deferring 

1. to submit for decision; refer.

   We defer questions of this kind to the president.

defer

¹

/ dɪˈfɜː /

verb

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

defer

²

/ dɪˈfɜː /

verb

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

   I defer to your superior knowledge

Other Word Forms

• deferrer noun
• deferrable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of defer¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English deferen, differren “to delay”; 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”; de-, bear ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of defer¹

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

Origin of defer²

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

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

But the tax break isn’t going away; it’s being deferred.

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Encouraging those speaking to state their assumptions, not just their conclusions, helps others challenge the reasoning rather than deferring to seniority.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Then, he cited an underperforming park, where, despite significant spending to address deferred investment needs, earnings fell significantly.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Money in the account can be invested and grows tax deferred, and can be tapped tax-free when used for healthcare expenses.

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But deferring a tax on a gain isn’t the same as eliminating the tax altogether.

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Related Words

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