postpone
Americanverb (used with object)
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to put off to a later time; defer.
He has postponed his departure until tomorrow.
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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
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to put behind in order of importance; defer
Synonym Usage
See defer 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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repostponeverb (used with object)
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unpostponedadjective
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nonpostponableadjective
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postponernoun
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well-postponedadjective
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postponableadjective
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unpostponableadjective
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postponementnoun
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has postponedperfect 3rd person singular
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have postponedperfect
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have been postponingperfect progressive
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are postponingprogressive
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am postponingprogressive 1st person singular
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is postponingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been postponingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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postponingparticiple
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postponessingular 3rd person
Past
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had postponedperfect
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was postponingprogressive singular
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were postponingprogressive plural
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had been postponingperfect progressive
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postponedsimple
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postponedparticiple
Future
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.
Echo & the Bunnymen had to postpone a show after singer Ian McCulloch was injured in a crash.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
“I know it’s a pain, but postpone your trip to another time, and then when you’re on board, adhere to what the cruise ship staff is telling you about personal hygiene.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
When the couple's travel operator gave them the option to postpone or cancel they decided to get a refund and instead booked a trip to Northumberland in June.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
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
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.
