postponement

[ pohst-pohn-muhnt, pohs- ]

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.

Other Words From

• non·post·pone·ment noun
• self-post·pone·ment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of postponement¹

postpone ( def ) + -ment ( def )

Example Sentences

The Navy football team will get a chance to make up two of its games that were postponed because of the coronavirus.

From Washington Post

In April, infectious disease and public health groups, through the Measles & Rubella Initiative, warned that measles immunization campaigns in 24 countries had already been pushed back and that more would be postponed.

From Vox

Four SEC games scheduled for this weekend have been postponed, with the contest between Georgia and Missouri the latest casualty of the coronavirus pandemic that had already washed out the marquee game Saturday featuring No.

From Washington Post

Diminished access to health careDental surgery, routine visits and elective surgeries at Veterans Administration medical centers have been postponed since mid-March.

From Popular-Science

That fear took a step closer to becoming reality Tuesday when the American Athletic Conference announced that Saturday’s game against Memphis has been postponed.

From Washington Post

Bad weather, however, gave her a reprieve; a spring rainstorm forced a postponement, pushing her appearance back 24 hours.

From The Daily Beast

Even without an attempted postponement of Election Day, questions abound.

From The Daily Beast

Their growth represents a constant deterioration of the status quo rather than the simple postponement peace.

From The Daily Beast

“They cite family, work schedules, etc., which result in the postponement of sex,” Queen notes.

From The Daily Beast

While there was minor damage to the craft, it was not the cause of the postponement, the sources say.

From The Daily Beast

On a division the motion for postponement was carried by a majority of one hundred and ninety-two against one hundred and fifteen.

From Project Gutenberg

On Mr. Roebuck's withdrawal, Mr. Hume moved the postponement of the committal to that day six months.

From Project Gutenberg

Jefferson says the reason of postponement was that the House were obliged to attend to other business.

From Project Gutenberg

At the regular trial Brown's counsel requested a postponement on account of the prisoner's health.

From Project Gutenberg

All that remonstrance could gain was a postponement of the stamp act till some more acceptable form of impost could be devised.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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