defer

English

Pronunciation

• IPA: /dɪˈfɜː(ɹ)/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(r)

Etymology 1

• From Old French differer, from Latin differe.

Verb

defer (third-person singular simple present defers, present participle deferring, simple past and past participle deferred)

1. To delay, or postpone, especially to postpone induction into military service.
   • 1818, Mary Shelley, chapter 3, Frankenstein^[1]:

     My departure for Ingolstadt, which had been deferred by these events, was now again determined upon.

Related terms

• differ

Derived terms

• deferral

Translations

to delay

Bosnian: odgoditi (bs) Bulgarian: отлагам (bg), отсрочвам (bg) Czech: odkládat (cs) Dutch: uitstellen (nl) Finnish: lykätä (fi)

French: différer (fr) German: aufschieben (de), aufheben (de), verzögern (de), vertagen (de) Hungarian: elhalaszt (hu) Polish: odraczać / odroczyć Swedish: skjuta upp (sv)

Etymology 2

• From Middle French deferer, from Latin deferre

Verb

defer (third-person singular simple present defers, present participle deferring, simple past and past participle deferred)

1. (law) To submit to the opinion or desire of another in respect to their judgment or authority.

Derived terms

• deference

Translations

to submit to the opinion or desire of another

Bulgarian: отстъпвам (bg) Finnish: mukautua (fi), alistua (fi) German: weiterleiten (de), verschieben (de)

Hungarian: enged (hu) (valaminek) Slovak: podvoliť sa (sk) Swedish: hänskjuta (sv)

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Translations to be checked

Turkish: ertelemek

Anagrams

• freed
• refed

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Latin

Verb

dēfer

1. second-person singular present active imperative of dēferō