Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense defers, present participle deferring, past tense, past participle deferred
1. verb
If you defer an event or action, you arrange for it to happen at a later date, rather than immediately or at the previously planned time.
Customers often defer payment for as long as possible. [VERB noun/verb-ing]
I'm not going to defer decisions just because they are not immediately politicallypopular. [VERB noun/-ing]
Synonyms: postpone, delay, put off, suspend More Synonyms of defer
2. verb
If you defer to someone, you accept their opinion or do what they want you to do, even when you do not agree with it yourself, because you respect them or their authority.
Doctors are encouraged to defer to experts. [VERB + to]
More Synonyms of defer
defer in British English1
(dɪˈfɜː)
verbWord forms: -fers, -ferring or -ferred
(transitive)
to delay or cause to be delayed until a future time; postpone
Derived forms
deferrable (deˈferrable) or deferable (deˈferable)
adjective
deferrer (deˈferrer)
noun
Word origin
C14: from Old French differer to be different, postpone; see differ
defer in British English2
(dɪˈfɜː)
verbWord forms: -fers, -ferring or -ferred
(intransitive; foll byto)
to yield (to) or comply (with) the wishes or judgments of another
I defer to your superior knowledge
Word origin
C15: from Latin dēferre, literally: to bear down, from de- + ferre to bear
defer in American English1
(diˈfɜr; dɪˈfɜr)
verb transitive, verb intransitiveWord forms: deˈferred or deˈferring
1.
to put off to a future time; postpone; delay
2.
to postpone the induction of (a person) into compulsory military service
SIMILAR WORDS: yield
Derived forms
deferrable (deˈferrable)
adjective
deferrer (deˈferrer)
noun
Word origin
ME differren < OFr differer: see differ
defer in American English2
(diˈfɜr; dɪˈfɜr)
verb intransitiveWord forms: deˈferred or deˈferring
to give in to the wish or judgment of another, as in showing respect; yield with courtesy (to)
Word origin
ME deferen < OFr deferer, to yield, pay deference to < L deferre, to bring down < de-, down + ferre, to bear1
Examples of 'defer' in a sentence
defer
The builder says that this is a matter of sales deferred rather than lost, and profit forecasts for 2017 are being maintained.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Your first challenge will be to stop deferring action and beginning to take some.
Pete Cohen and Sten Cummins with Jennai Cox HABIT BUSTING: A 10-step plan that will change your life (2002)
The bank is also considering deferred cash payments.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Should struggling homeowners be allowed to defer mortgage payments for up to two years?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
One option could be to defer payment until the owner dies and the house is sold.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Inheritance tax on woodland is often deferred until the timber is chopped down.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It has suspended charges for drivers who cannot find replacement cabs and will waive the fees for deferring payments.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It would also make more remuneration go straight out the door, rather than being deferred.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
You defer the payment of capital-gains tax.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
If they defer payments or take out repeat loans, charges can quickly balloon.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
If redundancies have become the norm, it might be prudent to defer incentive payments.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Huge profits from the sales of players can also be reinvested, deferring tax payments.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Just defer your actions temporarily.
The Sun (2015)
They can also lower the monthly payments by deferring part of the loan, although this will increase the total interest payable.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
I have deferred it too long, and would gladly see it completed.
George Eliot Middlemarch (1872)
Sources claim it has asked to defer some PAYE payments.
The Sun (2011)
An EIS can also be used to defer payment of capital gains tax by rolling gains into the investments.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The experience of the moment of presence is indefinitely postponed, infinitely deferred, perpetually delayed.
Boyne, Roy Foucault and Derrida - The Other Side Of Reason (1990)
Judgment - by the public - will not long be deferred.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
People are first going to try to defer payments, but then they will default and be forced to abandon their homes and head somewhere cheaper.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
As you can see, the longer you defer cutting the timber, the more money you will make.
Charles A. D'Ambrosio & Stewart D. Hodges & Richard Brealey & Stewart Myers Principles of Corporate Finance (1991)
Each month, when the payment was due, they would encourage me to just pay the minimum amount and defer the payment.
The Sun (2013)
In other languages
defer
British English: defer VERB
If you defer an event or action, you arrange for it to happen at a later date, rather than immediately or at the previously planned time.
Customers often defer payment for as long as possible.
American English: defer
Brazilian Portuguese: adiar
Chinese: 推迟
European Spanish: aplazar
French: différer
German: verschieben
Italian: rinviare
Japanese: 延期する
Korean: 연기하다
European Portuguese: adiar
Latin American Spanish: aplazar
Chinese translation of 'defer'
defer
(dɪˈfəːʳ)
vt
(= postpone) 推迟(遲) (tuīchí)
vi
to defer to sb遵从(從)某人的意见(見) (zūncóng mǒurén de yìjiàn)
(verb)
Definition
to delay until a future time
Customers often defer payment for as long as possible.
Synonyms
postpone
He decided to postpone the expedition.
delay
I delayed my departure until she could join me.
put off
suspend
The union suspended strike action this week.
shelve
Sadly, the project has now been shelved.
set aside
adjourn
The proceedings have been adjourned until next week.
hold over
procrastinate
We often procrastinate when faced with something we do not want to do.
put on ice (informal)
put on the back burner (informal)
protract
take a rain check on (US, Canadian, informal)
prorogue
(verb)
Definition
to comply with the wishes (of)
Although Dorothy was older than Mary, she tended to defer to her.
Synonyms
comply with
give way to
submit to
bow to
give in to
yield to
accede to
Why didn't you accede to our demands at the outset?
capitulate to
Additional synonyms
in the sense of accede to
Why didn't you accede to our demands at the outset?
Synonyms
agree to,
accept,
grant,
endorse,
consent to,
give in to,
surrender to,
yield to,
concede to,
acquiesce in,
assent to,
comply with,
concur to
in the sense of adjourn
Definition
to postpone or be postponed temporarily
The proceedings have been adjourned until next week.