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Synonyms

postpone

American

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

verb (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.

postpone British

/ pəʊstˈpəʊn, pəˈspəʊn /

verb

to put off or delay until a future time
to put behind in order of importance; defer

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See defer ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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!"

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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.

See Examples For:

postpone postpones postponed postponing

"Delays in specimen collection, transportation and testing can postpone confirmation by days or weeks, which hinders the isolation of infected persons, contact tracing and the initiation of outbreak-control measures," Sullivan wrote.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

The latest bit of bad news was a report by Bloomberg that nuclear service provider Holtec decided to postpone its initial public offering that had been expected to price today.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

It could also postpone the products and revenue intended to justify those investments.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

The singer-actor-philanthropist died after a series of health issues that led her to postpone several performing commitments last year, including a residency in Vegas.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

We’d have to temporarily postpone our expedition to the Grand Canyon, he told us.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls

The plan also postpones more complex negotiations over its nuclear programme, a major sticking point for Trump.

From Barron's ● Apr. 28, 2026

For the huge insurer, that only postpones the pain.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

The L.A. school board approved an $18.8 billion budget that postpones layoffs for a year and does not cut services to students.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2025

It postpones certain tax-filing deadlines for Americans and their spouses who are wrongfully detained or held hostage abroad.

From Slate ● Nov. 20, 2024

Perhaps, but being a wise woman, pressed always for time, she postpones her proper wash until the dirty work is done.

From A Poor Man's House by Stephen Sydney Reynolds

Because even tiny disturbances can matter in an experiment this sensitive, he postponed the reveal and returned to the analysis.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

He declared three days of mourning and postponed the start of campaigning for elections scheduled for January.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Bilfinger’s shares slumped after the company lowered its outlook for the year and said it would cut up to 1,500 jobs, with postponed customer investments expected to weigh on results.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

“Monday’s scheduled meeting of Gulf and Iranian leaders in Oman was postponed, but our understanding is talks are still ongoing, and making progress,” he added.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026

I postponed my departure long enough to pay my respects at Kendra’s funeral, then left for what was now to be a solitary journey.

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling

But he warned against allowing the choice to become an excuse for postponing saving.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

Judge Dabney Friedrich cited "newly discovered evidence" and "evidence located in other countries" as the reason for postponing the trial.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

“Waiting and postponing is not, in my opinion, an option.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

U.S. assistance may also be about postponing some unpleasant financial developments at home.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

“Why, that’s a wonderful idea! But just send out weekly announcements postponing the parades. Don’t even bother to schedule them. That would be infinitely more disconcerting.”

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023