What does "transfer" mean?
The act of conveying or removing something from one place, person or thing to another.
Transfer
/tɹɑːnsˈfɜː/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of conveying or removing something from one place, person or thing to another.
- Grammar: transfer is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: conveyance, transference, transport, transferal.
- Useful contrasts: cash retention, city hall post, credit denial.
- Usage evidence: We will make the payment by bank transfer.
How to use "transfer"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "transfer" 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 "transfer" 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 "transfer" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "transfer" 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 "transfer" is acting as noun, 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 "conveyance" 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 "transfer", 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
Noun
- 1 The act of conveying or removing something from one place, person or thing to another. uncountable
- 2 the act of transferring something from one form to another wordnet
- 3 An instance of conveying or removing from one place, person or thing to another; a transferal. countable
"A farmer could place an order for a new tractor part by text message and pay for it by mobile money-transfer. A supplier many miles away would then take the part to the local matternet station for airborne dispatch via drone."
- 4 the act of moving something from one location to another wordnet
- 5 An act of exiting one mass transit vehicle and boarding another (typically one belonging to a different line or mode of transportation) to continue a journey. countable
"Free transfers can be made between the Red and Orange Lines by walking from one of the station's platforms to another; in addition, riders using a fare card also get free transfers between bus and subway at the station."
Show 14 more definitions
- 6 transferring ownership wordnet
- 7 A paper receipt given to a rider of one bus (and historically also certain elevated or subway lines), allowing free entry onto another bus to continue a journey. countable
- 8 application of a skill learned in one situation to a different but similar situation wordnet
- 9 A design conveyed by contact from one surface to another; a heat transfer. countable
"All passenger stock is lettered in shaded gold leaf transfers and has never been decorated with either a crest or monogram."
- 10 a ticket that allows a passenger to change conveyances wordnet
- 11 A soldier removed from one troop, or body of troops, and placed in another. countable, uncountable
- 12 someone who transfers or is transferred from one position to another wordnet
- 13 A pathological process by which a unilateral morbid condition on being abolished on one side of the body makes its appearance in the corresponding region upon the other side. countable, uncountable
- 14 The conveying of genetic material from one cell to another. countable, uncountable
- 15 A conventional bid which requests partner to bid the next available suit. countable, uncountable
- 16 A person who transfers or is transferred from one club or team to another. countable, uncountable
- 17 Ellipsis of transfer student. Canada, US, abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
- 18 Of a person with limited mobility: an instance of independent or assisted movement from one stable surface to another. countable
"Understanding car transfers and [wheelchair] loading in independent drivers is crucial to prevent shoulder pain and injury and preserve community participation."
- 19 Ellipsis of language transfer. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To move or pass from one place, person or thing to another. transitive
"to transfer the laws of one country to another; to transfer suspicion"
- 2 transfer from one place or period to another wordnet
- 3 To convey the impression of (something) from one surface to another. transitive
"to transfer drawings or engravings to a lithographic stone"
- 4 send from one person or place to another wordnet
- 5 To exit one mass transit vehicle and board another (typically one belonging to a different line or mode of transportation) to continue a journey.
"transfer to the Blue Line"
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 lift and reset in another soil or situation wordnet
- 7 To be or become transferred. intransitive
- 8 move around wordnet
- 9 To arrange for something to belong to or be officially controlled by somebody else. transitive
"The title to land is transferred by deed."
- 10 shift the position or location of, as for business, legal, educational, or military purposes wordnet
- 11 To move from a wheelchair to another seating surface, or to a wheelchair from another seating surface. intransitive
- 12 change from one vehicle or transportation line to another wordnet
- 13 cause to change ownership wordnet
- 14 move from one place to another wordnet
- 15 transfer somebody to a different position or location of work wordnet
Antonyms
cash retentioncity hall postcredit denialcredit hold
Example
"We will make the payment by bank transfer."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "transfer"?
Common synonyms include: conveyance, transference, transport, transferal, abalienate, abalienate.
How do you use "transfer" in a sentence?
We will make the payment by bank transfer.
How do you pronounce "transfer"?
Pronounced /tɹɑːnsˈfɜː/.
Etymology
From Latin trānsferō (“I bear across”). Distant doublet of translate. See also collate and confer, delate and defer, as well as prelate and prefer among others.