defer en · VERB · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /dɪˈfɜː/ (Australia)
- /dɪˈfɜː/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /dɪˈfɛr/ (Scotland)
- /dɪˈfɜː(ɹ)/ Lancashire, fair–fur merger
- /dɪˈfɛː/ Humberside, Teesside, fair–fur merger
- /dɪˈfeː/ Liverpool, fair–fur merger
- /dɪˈfɝ/ (Canada, General-American)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /dəˈføː/ (New-Zealand)
Etymology
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.
Meanings
-
(transitive) To delay or postpone.
We're going to defer the decision until we have all the facts.
My journey to Ingolstadt, which had been deferred by these events, was now again determined upon.
1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], chapter II, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume I, London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, published 1 January 1818, →OCLC, page 65:Deferre the ſpoile of the Citie vntill night:
1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vii], page 141, column 2:
- (common, especially, qualifier:historically, transitive) To delay or postpone. ▸ to postpone induction into military service.
- 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).
-
(intransitive) To delay, to wait.
God […] will not long defer / To vindicate the glory of his name
1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 34, lines 474–476:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| defers | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| deferring | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| deferred | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| deferred | Tense=Past | lexicographic |
Deriveds
overdefer · deferment · deferral · tax-deferred · deferrer · redefer · deferrable · deferrability · nondeferring
Relateds
Translations (71)
fr remettre ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · de zögern ((intransitive) to delay) · de verzögern ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · sh odgoditi ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · tr gecikmek ((intransitive) to delay) · pl odkładać ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · pt adiar ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · cs vyčkávat ((intransitive) to delay) · fr reporter ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · fr différer ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · uk відтерміно́вувати ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · cs oddálit ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · de aufschieben ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · tr bekletmek ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · fi lykätä ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · mi whakatārewa ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · bg отсрочвам ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · pl odraczać ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · hu elhalaszt ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · cs odkládat ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · cs váhat ((intransitive) to delay) · de vertagen ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · de den Vortritt lassen ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · de stunden ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · ru откла́дывать ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · de abwarten ((intransitive) to delay) · fi viivytellä ((intransitive) to delay) · ru отсро́чить ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · de zurückstellen ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · hy տարկետել ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · de aufheben ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · ota صالمق ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · pl zwlekać ((intransitive) to delay) · nl talmen ((intransitive) to delay) · tr yubatmak ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · enm differren ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · mi tinaku ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · bg отлагам ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · sv skjuta upp ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · cs zdržet ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · sh одгодити ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · ru отсро́чивать ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · tr tehir etmek ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · de hinausschieben ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · pt pospor ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · ru отложи́ть ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · cs otálet ((intransitive) to delay) · tr geciktirmek ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · uk відстро́чити ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · uk відстро́чувати ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · pl odłożyć ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · de zuwarten ((intransitive) to delay) · de aussetzen ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · cs odložit ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · fi myöhentää ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · nl uitstellen ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · uk відклада́ти ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · ja 延期する ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · enm differren ((intransitive) to delay) · uk відкла́сти ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · cs opozdit ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · cmn 延緩 /延缓 ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · cs pozdržet ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · es diferir ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · grc ἀναβάλλω ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · uk відтермінува́ти ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · nl dralen ((intransitive) to delay) · de verschieben ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · pl odroczyć ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · cs zpozdit ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off) · cs oddalovat ((transitive) to delay — see also delay, postpone, put off)