What does "defer" mean?
To delay or postpone.
Defer
/dɪˈfɜː/ verb
verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To delay or postpone.
- Grammar: defer is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: postpone, accede, accede, accede to.
- Useful contrasts: bespoke, operational target, overweening.
- Usage evidence: Suppose then that we defer the marriage till the autumn.
How to use "defer"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "defer" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "defer" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "defer" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "defer" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "defer" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "postpone" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "defer", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To delay or postpone. transitive
"We're going to defer the decision until we have all the facts."
- 2 To submit to the opinion or desire of others in respect to their judgment or authority. ambitransitive
"Hereupon the commissioners […] deferred the matter to the Earl of Northumberland."
- 3 yield to another's wish or opinion wordnet
- 4 To delay or postpone.; to postpone induction into military service. common, especially, transitive
- 5 To render, to offer.
"worship deferred to the Virgin"
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 hold back to a later time wordnet
- 7 After winning the opening coin toss, to postpone until the start of the second half a team's choice of whether to kick off or receive (and to allow the opposing team to make this choice at the start of the first half).
- 8 To delay, to wait. intransitive
"God […] will not long defer / To vindicate the glory of his name"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Suppose then that we defer the marriage till the autumn."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "defer"?
Common synonyms include: postpone, accede, accede, accede to, accommodate, acquiesce.
How do you use "defer" in a sentence?
Suppose then that we defer the marriage till the autumn.
How do you pronounce "defer"?
Pronounced /dɪˈfɜː/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Originally a variant of (and hence a doublet of) differ; from Middle English differren (“to postpone”), from Old French differer, from Latin differō. Doublet of differ and dilate. See also infer, collate and confer, delate and defer, relate and refer as well as prelate and prefer among others.
Etymology 2
From late Middle English differren (“to refer for judgement”), from Middle French déférer, from Latin dēferō. Doublet of delate. See also infer, collate and confer, relate and refer, as well as prelate and prefer among others.