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Synonyms

deferral

American  
[dih-fur-uhl] / dɪˈfɜr əl /

noun

  1. the act of deferring or putting something off until later; postponement.

    If you are unable to take the exam, you can request a deferral of your registration fees to the next exam date.

  2. deferment.

Etymology

Origin of deferral

First recorded in 1890–95; defer 1 + -al 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

These forced withdrawals are payback for years of valuable tax deferral and are taxed at ordinary income rates.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

His main reason is that the tax deferral from the employee and employer contribution is good enough, and going beyond that just adds complexity.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 23, 2025

Scott Bessent told the BBC's US news partner CBS that this included a "final deal" on TikTok's US operations and a deferral on China's tightened rare earth minerals controls.

From BBC • Oct. 26, 2025

I bonds offer tax deferral on interest income until redemption and are exempt from state and local income taxes.

From Barron's • Oct. 24, 2025

“You believe this? That you’re deeply in love? And therefore you’ve come to me for this...this deferral? Why? Why did you come to me?”

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.