English Explanatory Dictionary

defer

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To delay or postpone.
  2. to postpone induction into military service.
  3. 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).
  4. To delay, to wait.
verb
  1. To submit to the opinion or desire of others in respect to their judgment or authority.
  2. To render, to offer.

Pronunciation

/dɪˈfɜː/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-defer.wav /dɪˈfeː/ /dɪˈfɛː/ /dɪˈfɜː(ɹ)/ /dɪˈfɛr/ /dɪˈfɝ/ /dəˈføː/

Word forms

defer defers deferring deferred

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.

Synonyms

submit

Related words

differ

Derived words

deferment deferrability deferrable deferral deferrer nondeferring overdefer redefer tax-deferred deference

Translations

Armenian: տարկետել Bulgarian: отлагам Bulgarian: отсрочвам Chinese Mandarin: 延緩 /延缓 Czech: odkládat Czech: zpozdit Czech: zdržet Czech: pozdržet Czech: opozdit Czech: odložit Czech: oddalovat Czech: oddálit Dutch: uitstellen Finnish: lykätä Finnish: myöhentää French: différer French: reporter French: remettre German: aufschieben German: aufheben German: verzögern German: vertagen German: verschieben German: zurückstellen German: hinausschieben German: stunden German: aussetzen German: den Vortritt lassen Ancient Greek: ἀναβάλλω Hungarian: elhalaszt Japanese: 延期する Māori: tinaku Māori: whakatārewa Middle English: differren Polish: odraczać Polish: odroczyć Polish: odkładać Polish: odłożyć Portuguese: adiar Portuguese: pospor Russian: откла́дывать Russian: отложи́ть Russian: отсро́чивать Russian: отсро́чить Serbo-Croatian: одгодити Serbo-Croatian: odgoditi Spanish: diferir Swedish: skjuta upp Turkish: geciktirmek Turkish: tehir etmek Turkish: bekletmek Turkish: yubatmak Ottoman Turkish: صالمق Ukrainian: відклада́ти Ukrainian: відкла́сти Ukrainian: відстро́чувати Ukrainian: відстро́чити Ukrainian: відтерміно́вувати Ukrainian: відтермінува́ти
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