deferred

American  

[dih-furd] / dɪˈfɜrd /

adjective

1. postponed or delayed.

2. suspended or withheld for or until a certain time or event.

   a deferred payment; deferred taxes.

3. classified as temporarily exempt from induction into military service.

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deferred British  

/ dɪˈfɜːd /

adjective

1. withheld over a certain period; postponed

   a deferred payment

2. (of shares) ranking behind other types of shares for dividend

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Other Word Forms

• undeferred adjective
• well-deferred adjective

Etymology

Origin of deferred

First recorded in 1645–55; defer ¹ + -ed ²

Example Sentences

Winter weather also caused some business in the company’s warehousing segment to be deferred until the second and third quarters, resulting in a 5 cent per share impact.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

By comparison, $125 million was “a bargain for the county,” said Govan, “Because they had the liability of ownership of those buildings and the deferred maintenance was extraordinary.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Given Arista’s deferred revenue balance of $5.4 billion, the XPO strategy, and expected new large customer wins, revenue growth can exceed guidance for 25% in 2026 and 20% in 2027, the analyst says.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

However, Mosley deferred to individual militaries when challenged by the BBC on the risk of time-pressured commanders ordering their officers to take Maven's output as being rubber-stamped.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Tom deferred that much to the sensibilities of those East Eggers who might be on the train.

From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Related Words

• delayed
• negotiated
• postponed