proffer
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
-
the act of proffering.
-
an offer or proposal.
verb
noun
Synonym Usage
See offer.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
proffersimple
-
profferssimple
-
have profferedperfect
-
has profferedperfect
-
am profferingprogressive
-
are profferingprogressive
-
is profferingprogressive
-
have been profferingperfect progressive
-
has been profferingperfect progressive
Past
-
profferedsimple
-
had profferedperfect
-
was profferingprogressive
-
were profferingprogressive
-
had been profferingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of proffer
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English profren, from Anglo-French profrer, variant of Old French poroffrir, equivalent to por- pro- 1 + offrir offer
Explanation
If you present something for acceptance or rejection, you proffer it. If your best friend is really struggling with her math homework, you might want to proffer her some advice — like suggesting that she get a tutor. What's the difference between proffer and offer? If you say you proffered something to a friend, it suggests a spirit of generosity and it signals that your friend was welcome to accept or reject it as he saw fit. In other words, proffer is usually a little more polite than offer. To remember this, think of the following equation: p[oliteness] + offer = proffer.
Vocabulary lists containing proffer
Lord of the Flies
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Power Prefix: pro
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Beowulf
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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.
He now says his proffer agreement with police, under which he agreed to tell them what he knew but it couldn't be used against him in court, was given under duress, according to Netflix.
From BBC • Dec. 2, 2025
If past is prologue, he will overreach in response to this week’s peace proffer, rejecting what many in his entourage would view as an attractive exit from a strategic miscue.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025
Remarkably, the Justice Department did not even proffer this argument; the majority just made it up.
From Slate • Jul. 8, 2025
It’s unlikely that Harris will proffer a public decision in the immediate term, leaving plenty of time for political insiders to game out hypotheticals in the weeks and months to come.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2024
He had enjoyed his Mexican holiday, and still was unable to proffer a bit of kindness to the woman who had waited patiently, busying herself with housewifely duties.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
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.
