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

The move followed warnings that it could end up costing the government money if wealthy people leave the country or defer selling off assets, the Times newspaper reported.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

That 2019 opinion, which Kagan herself wrote, was about how much courts should defer to an expert federal agency’s interpretation of its own regulations.

From Slate ● Oct. 18, 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

Perhaps she could defer at Yale for a semester and start late.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

My portfolio manager, a CFP professional and fiduciary with the firm, has recommended moving a portion of the bond allocation into a deferred fixed annuity offered by a highly rated, unaffiliated insurance company.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever tendered his resignation to King Philippe on Monday over deadlocked budget talks, but the monarch deferred his decision until after a new meeting Friday.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

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

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

The rumors were in fact true, though on all constitutional questions Jefferson deferred to Madison’s superior judgment, so he could accept the offer to become America's first secretary of state without political reservations.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

The payments are the result of the Mets in 2000 deferring the last $5.9 million of his four-year contract after releasing him on the heels of a .160 batting average.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 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

Boeing declined to comment on the Safety Matters report, deferring to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.

From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026

She argues that too often we use expert prediction as an excuse not to think for ourselves, deferring to impressive-looking charts and graphs as a form of anxiety relief.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026

“Ah don’t wanna break in ’n’ meddle where Ah ain’ got no bis- ness, suh,” the preacher said in a tone that was militant, but deferring.

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright

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Related Words

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

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