postpone
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to put off to a later time; defer.
He has postponed his departure until tomorrow.
-
to place after in order of importance or estimation; subordinate.
to postpone private ambitions to the public welfare.
verb
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to put off or delay until a future time
-
to put behind in order of importance; defer
Related Words
See defer 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of postpone
First recorded in 1490–1500; from Latin postpōnere “to put after, lay aside,” equivalent to post- post- + pōnere “to put”
Explanation
To postpone something is to put it off until later. You can postpone an appointment today and reschedule it for tomorrow. Anything you're putting for is being postponed: people postpone things they don't have time to do or just don't want to do. Since doctor and dental appointments are no fun, people postpone them a lot. You can postpone small things, like going to the store or watching a video. The government can postpone big things, like the passing of bills or the invasion of another country. People who procrastinate are constantly postponing. When you see the word postpone, think "Later!"
Vocabulary lists containing postpone
Anti-Antonyms: Words Without Opposites
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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.
That summit has been delayed once, and analysts say markets would likely take any moves to further postpone the meeting, which is set for May 14- May 15, as a negative.
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
LIV Golf could postpone its event in New Orleans in June amid continued questions over its future.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
Tehran has offered to open the Strait of Hormuz but postpone nuclear talks.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026
West wrote on X that it was his “sole decision” to postpone the concert “until further notice.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
Thermonuclear reactions in the solar interior support the outer layers of the Sun and postpone for billions of years a catastrophic gravitational collapse.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
