What does defer mean?
Defer means (transitive) To delay or postpone..
Defer
/dɪˈfɜː/ · verb
Meaning
(transitive) To delay or postpone..
Definitions by Sense
- (transitive) To delay or postpone.
- (American football) 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.
- (ambitransitive) To submit to the opinion or desire of others in respect to their judgment or authority.
- To render, to offer.
Example Sentences
We're going to defer the decision until we have all the facts.
Deferre the ſpoile of the Citie vntill night:
My journey to Ingolstadt, which had been deferred by these events, was now again determined upon.
God […] will not long defer / To vindicate the glory of his name
Hereupon the commissioners […] deferred the matter to the Earl of Northumberland.
"Defer/Defer/To the Lord High Executioner."
"Well, I must defer to your judgment. You are captain," he said with marked civility.
worship deferred to the Virgin
Synonyms for defer
Antonyms for defer
Related Words
Word Forms
- defers
- deferring
- deferred
Usage Notes
Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.
Practice and Learn More
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a synonym for defer?
Common synonyms include submit, accede, bow, remit.
What is the opposite of defer?
The opposite depends on the specific sense.
How do you use defer in a sentence?
We're going to defer the decision until we have all the facts.
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.