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defer

1 of 2

verb (1)

de·​fer di-ˈfər How to pronounce defer (audio)
deferred; deferring

transitive verb

1
: put off, delay
2
: to postpone induction of (a person) into military service
deferrer noun

defer

2 of 2

verb (2)

deferred; deferring

transitive verb

: to delegate to another
he could defer his job to no one J. A. Michener

intransitive verb

: to submit to another's wishes, opinion, or governance usually through deference or respect
deferred to her father's wishes

Did you know?

There are two words spelled defer in English. The other defer, which means "to delegate to another for determination or decision" or "to submit to another's wishes or opinion" (as in "I defer to your superior expertise"), is derived from the Latin verb deferre, meaning "to bring down." The defer we're featuring today is derived from Latin differre, which itself has several meanings including "to postpone" and "to differ." Not surprisingly, differre is also the source of our word differ, meaning "to be different."

Synonyms

Verb (1)

Choose the Right Synonym for defer

Verb (1)

defer, postpone, suspend, stay mean to delay an action or proceeding.

defer implies a deliberate putting off to a later time.

deferred buying a car until spring

postpone implies an intentional deferring usually to a definite time.

the game is postponed until Saturday

suspend implies temporary stoppage with an added suggestion of waiting until some condition is satisfied.

business will be suspended while repairs are underway

stay often suggests the stopping or checking by an intervening agency or authority.

the governor stayed the execution

Verb (2)

yield, submit, capitulate, succumb, relent, defer mean to give way to someone or something that one can no longer resist.

yield may apply to any sort or degree of giving way before force, argument, persuasion, or entreaty.

yields too easily in any argument

submit suggests full surrendering after resistance or conflict to the will or control of another.

a repentant sinner vowing to submit to the will of God

capitulate stresses the fact of ending all resistance and may imply either a coming to terms (as with an adversary) or hopelessness in the face of an irresistible opposing force.

officials capitulated to the protesters' demands

succumb implies weakness and helplessness to the one that gives way or an overwhelming power to the opposing force.

a stage actor succumbing to the lure of Hollywood

relent implies a yielding through pity or mercy by one who holds the upper hand.

finally relented and let the children stay up late

defer implies a voluntary yielding or submitting out of respect or reverence for or deference and affection toward another.

I defer to your expertise in these matters

Example Sentences

Verb (1) Backers say the arrangement will make patients more cost-conscious and judicious in their use of medical service, thus restraining health-cost increases; critics say it will cause patients to defer needed treatment and will be attractive only to younger, healthier workers. Wall Street Journal, 9 Jan. 2006 A far stronger signal came when the draft was revived, shortly before the United States entered World War II. Although married men with families were eligible for induction, in many cases up to the age of forty, high school students were automatically deferred. Thomas Hine, American Heritage, September 1999 The decision was deferred for a time. John didn't want to do anything drastic until after October … Joe Klein, Payback, 1984 Verb (2) But in 1775, when William chose loyalty to empire over deference to his father, Franklin abruptly, angrily, and permanently broke with his son. Despite having defied his own father (in leaving Boston), Franklin pulled patriarchal rank to demand that his son defer to his politics: "there are natural duties which precede political ones, and cannot be extinguished by them." Alan Taylor, New Republic, 13 Jan. 2003 Israelis can be harsh with each other, but they defer to the security guards who check their backpacks at the mall entrances. They put their faith in the Army. David Brooks, Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2001
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Blacks interviewed weren’t as willing to defer to the prejudices of whites as their forebears had been in the South, where segregation was enforced by law and lynching. Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 4 Sep. 2022 Chevron, which compels courts to defer to agency interpretations, removed that check on executive power. WSJ, 30 Aug. 2022 Officials are also considering allowing homebuyers to defer mortgage payments without penalties. Yvonne Lau, Fortune, 18 July 2022 Acting before the Ohio Supreme Court rules could be a waste of resources and override court precedent that federal courts should defer to states in drawing political maps, Marbley said. Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland, 14 Mar. 2022 In this Future View, students discuss if President Biden should defer student debt. WSJ, 18 Jan. 2022 In January, the NCAA updated its transgender participation policy to defer to the guidance of each sport’s governing body. Fox News, 12 July 2022 That's a break from the past, when federal courts tended to defer to agencies. John Fritze, USA TODAY, 30 June 2022 At least in the case of oral surgery, the patient and surgeon can generally agree on what needs to be done and the patient is generally willing to defer to the surgeon’s judgment in determining how to resolve a particular problem. Mark Settle, Forbes, 21 June 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English differren, deferren, borrowed from Anglo-French differer, borrowed (with conjugational change) from Latin differre "to carry away in varying directions, spread abroad, postpone, delay, be unlike or distinct" — more at differ

Note: The verb defer is not distinct etymologically from differ—see note at etymology of that entry. The spelling of the initial unstressed syllable as -e- was perhaps by association with delay entry 2.

Verb (2)

Middle English differen, deferen "to submit (a matter) for decision, submit to another's judgment," borrowed from Middle French deferer, deferrer "to bring (a defendant) before a court, submit to another's will," borrowed (with conjugation change) from Medieval Latin dēferre "to convey, show respect, submit to a decision" (Late Latin, "to pay respect to"), going back to Latin, "to bring down, convey, transfer, submit," from dē- de- + ferre "to carry, convey" — more at bear entry 2

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of defer was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing defer

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