postponement

American  

[pohst-pohn-muhnt, pohs-] / poʊstˈpoʊn mənt, poʊs- /

noun

1. the act of putting something off to a later time; deferral.

   Taking your sick or injured pet to the veterinarian should be prompt, as any postponement can lead to ongoing medical issues.

2. the act of placing a thing below something else in importance or after something else in sequence (now used most often in grammar).

   Historically, inheritance laws tended toward a postponement of the claims of female kin to those of male kin.

   In English, the end position in a sentence is normally reserved for the key point, so postponement of an element is a way of emphasizing it.

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Other Word Forms

• nonpostponement noun
• self-postponement noun

Etymology

Origin of postponement

postpone ( def. ) + -ment ( def. )

Example Sentences

He revealed “productive” talks with Iran and the postponement of strikes on power plants for five days, and within minutes Dow futures surged more than 1,000 points and oil prices plunged 10%.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

Danny Russel, a former senior U.S. diplomat and vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said Beijing viewed “the sudden, last-minute postponement as disrespectful.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

Of these, 63 were eligible to request a postponement due to local government reorganisation, and in January it was announced that 30 would be delayed.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

"Not to mention the refunds we now need to give out due to the sudden postponement of our event which we had to notify people on the day about."

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026

“Hey, Zig, could you get me a postponement on the Stepford Wives? There’s this other thing that’s come up.”

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

Related Words

• adjournment
• freeze
• halt
• pause
• respite
• stay
• suspension