defer

verb (1)

de·fer | \ di-ˈfər

deferred; deferring

Definition of defer

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : put off, delay

2 : to postpone induction of (a person) into military service

defer

verb (2)

deferred; deferring

Definition of defer (Entry 2 of 2)

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

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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

Examples of defer in a Sentence

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

And since the Justice Department defers the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes to state and local law enforcement, the FBI doesn’t even know how many people white supremacists kill each year. — Joe Sexton, ProPublica, "He Spent Years Infiltrating White Supremacist Groups. Here’s What He Has to Say About What’s Going on Now.," 30 Aug. 2019 Another key reason for low demand in the segment is the tightening of lending norms by non-banking financial companies and lower rentals that forced the fleet owners to defer purchases. — Sangeeta Tanwar, Quartz India, "Here are some numbers to prove that the Indian economy is losing steam," 26 Aug. 2019 The matter was brought to the city’s Public Safety Commission, who opted to defer to the California vehicle code rather than draft a city-specific ordinance. — Sara Cardine, La Cañada Valley Sun, "La Cañada Council delays regulating e-scooters, eases concerns about sewer surcharge," 17 July 2019 The county said the crashes are likely not the only ones in the area, but officials deferred to the city of Portland, which owns and manages most of the roads in the area, for further details. — oregonlive.com, "Lengthy Cornelius Pass closure gets off to rocky start with at least two ‘significant’ crashes, detour changes," 30 July 2019 Who would have ever thought that NASCAR — the ultimate macho-man sports — would defer to women’s soccer? — Mike Bianchi, orlandosentinel.com, "Coke Zero Sugar 400 shows NASCAR, NBC don’t know when to come in out of the rain | Commentary," 7 July 2019 If parents are found guilty, Villanueva said they could be deferred to a diversion program or face 180 days of probation. — Indianapolis Star, "11 parents in Johnson County face charges for kids missing school," 5 July 2019 Yates said officers typically defer to the host institution or venue when deciding whether or not to enforce ordinances on the premises. — Danielle Lerner, The Courier-Journal, "Sheriff's office has no plans to enforce mask ordinance at Louisville City FC games," 2 Apr. 2018 But Warner, for his part, defers any credit for being the therapist. — al, "Kayaking group offers ‘Monday therapy’ on Dog River," 7 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'defer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for defer

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

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More Definitions for defer

defer

verb

de·fer | \ di-ˈfər

deferred; deferring

Kids Definition of defer

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to put off to a future time : postpone The test is deferred to next week.

defer

verb

deferred; deferring

Kids Definition of defer (Entry 2 of 2)

: to give in or yield to the opinion or wishes of another

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defer

Definition of defer

Other Words from defer

Choose the Right Synonym for defer

Examples of defer in a Sentence

First Known Use of defer

History and Etymology for defer

Kids Definition of defer

defer

Definition of defer

Other Words from defer

Choose the Right Synonym for defer

Examples of defer in a Sentence

First Known Use of defer

History and Etymology for defer

Kids Definition of defer

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