proffer
1 of 2verb
prof·fer ˈprä-fər 
proffered; proffering ˈprä-f(ə-)riŋ
transitive verb
: to present for acceptance : tender, offer
intransitive verb
US law
: to offer to take part in a proffer session
decided that an indictment was unlikely and there was no reason to proffer
proffer
2 of 2noun
1
: offer, suggestion
2
US law : an offer made to a prosecutor by a person who is a subject of a criminal investigation to provide information in exchange for limited immunity or a plea bargaining agreement
made a proffer in the hope of avoiding prosecution
Did you know?
You may notice a striking similarity between "proffer" and "offer." Are the two words connected by etymology? Yes, indeed. "Proffer" comes from Anglo-French profrer, which itself is an alteration of the earlier "porofrir." That word in turn combines "por-" (which means "forth" and is related to our "pro-") and "offrir" (which means "to offer" and is an ancestor of our word offer). "Proffer" entered English in the 14th century. A more literary word than plain "offer," it adds or puts stress on the idea of voluntariness, spontaneity, or courtesy on the part of the one doing the tendering.
Synonyms
Verb
- extend
- give
- offer
- tender
- trot out
Noun
- offer
- proposal
- proposition
- suggestion
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb He proffered advice on how best to proceed. proffered his assistance in helping the two sides reach a compromise Noun a generous proffer of his baronial estate for the charity gala
Recent Examples on the Web
Shari Rudavsky, The Indianapolis Star, 24 Aug. 2022 Ancient oaks proffer shade, and at various times of the year, tapestries of wildflowers and cactus blooms fling themselves across the land. Travel + Leisure, 18 June 2022 The influencer network allows Beijing to easily proffer propaganda to unsuspecting Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube users around the globe. Bloomberg.com, 30 Mar. 2022 The influencer network allows Beijing to easily proffer propaganda to unsuspecting Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube users around the globe. The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Mar. 2022 But, given the Navy’s poor estimating skills, few Admirals are eager to publicly proffer a realistic cost target. Craig Hooper, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2021 The space itself will clock in at 140 seats (about half the size of Prime), and the six-seat chef counter will likely be the most coveted chairs in the house — and where Moore and Gomez promise to proffer on-the-fly tasting menus. Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2022 After an uneven beginning to the season, Kansas City had dropped only one game since Halloween — a 34-31 defeat to the Bengals in Cincinnati on Jan. 2 — and precedent suggested that Sunday would proffer the opposite result. New York Times, 30 Jan. 2022 Accurate or not, this was the wrong answer for an American president to proffer. Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 17 Feb. 2022 Alexandria Burris, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Sep. 2022 And some of his testimony at trial differed from what was previewed in the Santiago proffer. Megan Crepeau, Chicago Tribune, 4 Sep. 2022 In this case, a trader, Frances O’Brian, is brought in for a proffer to the US Attorneys Office. Walter Pavlo, Forbes, 15 Apr. 2022 Chinese crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun revealed himself Wednesday as the mysterious bidder who secured a seat on Blue Origin’s first crewed spaceflight with a $28 million proffer — only to skip it — and announced plans to take five people with him. Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2021 The deal would have required Budish to give a proffer statement, an agreement in which a person is allowed to speak freely to investigators in exchange for them not using the statements to charge them with a crime. Cory Shaffer, cleveland, 20 Dec. 2021 From their respective graves in Mecosta County and Beaconsfield, the two proffer advice to authors: write up, not down, or even sideways. Wsj Books Staff, WSJ, 8 Dec. 2021 Cory Shaffer reports Earl Leiken signed a two-page proffer agreement in which prosecutors agreed not to use his statements in any criminal case against him, according to courtroom testimony in the trial of former jail director Ken Mills. Cliff Pinckard, cleveland, 1 Sep. 2021 Williams allegedly recorded several videos posted to SnapChat detailing the night before Rendon’s death, according to a bond proffer read out in court Tuesday by an assistant Cook County state’s attorney. Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 16 Aug. 2021 See More
Verb
But Mullis also asked his colleague Dr. Jan Szatkowski to proffer a second opinion. Shari Rudavsky, The Indianapolis Star, 24 Aug. 2022 Ancient oaks proffer shade, and at various times of the year, tapestries of wildflowers and cactus blooms fling themselves across the land. Travel + Leisure, 18 June 2022 The influencer network allows Beijing to easily proffer propaganda to unsuspecting Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube users around the globe. Bloomberg.com, 30 Mar. 2022 The influencer network allows Beijing to easily proffer propaganda to unsuspecting Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube users around the globe. The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Mar. 2022 But, given the Navy’s poor estimating skills, few Admirals are eager to publicly proffer a realistic cost target. Craig Hooper, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2021 The space itself will clock in at 140 seats (about half the size of Prime), and the six-seat chef counter will likely be the most coveted chairs in the house — and where Moore and Gomez promise to proffer on-the-fly tasting menus. Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2022 After an uneven beginning to the season, Kansas City had dropped only one game since Halloween — a 34-31 defeat to the Bengals in Cincinnati on Jan. 2 — and precedent suggested that Sunday would proffer the opposite result. New York Times, 30 Jan. 2022 Accurate or not, this was the wrong answer for an American president to proffer. Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 17 Feb. 2022 Noun
Meek did not participate in a proffer interview, Bont said. Alexandria Burris, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Sep. 2022 And some of his testimony at trial differed from what was previewed in the Santiago proffer. Megan Crepeau, Chicago Tribune, 4 Sep. 2022 In this case, a trader, Frances O’Brian, is brought in for a proffer to the US Attorneys Office. Walter Pavlo, Forbes, 15 Apr. 2022 Chinese crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun revealed himself Wednesday as the mysterious bidder who secured a seat on Blue Origin’s first crewed spaceflight with a $28 million proffer — only to skip it — and announced plans to take five people with him. Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2021 The deal would have required Budish to give a proffer statement, an agreement in which a person is allowed to speak freely to investigators in exchange for them not using the statements to charge them with a crime. Cory Shaffer, cleveland, 20 Dec. 2021 From their respective graves in Mecosta County and Beaconsfield, the two proffer advice to authors: write up, not down, or even sideways. Wsj Books Staff, WSJ, 8 Dec. 2021 Cory Shaffer reports Earl Leiken signed a two-page proffer agreement in which prosecutors agreed not to use his statements in any criminal case against him, according to courtroom testimony in the trial of former jail director Ken Mills. Cliff Pinckard, cleveland, 1 Sep. 2021 Williams allegedly recorded several videos posted to SnapChat detailing the night before Rendon’s death, according to a bond proffer read out in court Tuesday by an assistant Cook County state’s attorney. Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 16 Aug. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English profren, from Anglo-French profrer, proffrir, porofrir, from por- forth (from Latin pro-) + offrir to offer — more at pro-
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing proffer
Kids Definition
proffer
verb
prof·fer ˈprä-fər
proffered; proffering
: offer entry 1 sense 1
proffer 1 of 2
noun
as in proposal
something which is presented for consideration a generous proffer of his baronial estate for the charity gala Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- proposal
- offer
- suggestion
- proposition
- recommendation
- plan
- idea
- motion
- bid
- counteroffer
- counterproposal
- presentation
- thought
- tender
- nomination
- arrangement
- project
- theory
- countersuggestion
- overture
- strategy
- submission
- advancement
- system
- feeler
- conception
- submittal
- notion
- layout
- plot
- game
- ground plan
- line
proffer
2 of 2verb
1
as in to offer
to put before another for acceptance or consideration proffered his assistance in helping the two sides reach a compromise Synonyms & Similar Words
- offer
- give
- tender
- extend
- run by
- propose
- submit
- trot out
- run past
- pose
- hold out
- volunteer
- give in
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- receive
- accept
- take
- approve
- authorize
- confirm
- reject
- deny
- warrant
- formalize
- sanction
- ratify
- refuse
- clear
- accredit
- finalize
- spurn
- rebut
- disallow
- okay
- decline
- rebuff
- disapprove
- negative
- withdraw
- turn down
- veto
- approbate
- retract
- ignore
- homologate
- disregard
- overlook
- OK
- neglect
2
as in to suggest
to set before the mind for consideration proffered a novel solution for getting themselves out of debt Synonyms & Similar Words
- suggest
- propose
- offer
- pose
- present
- recommend
- propound
- vote
- submit
- advance
- put forward
- put forth
- bounce
- nominate
- tender
- plan
- file
- arrange
- move
- contrive
- shape
- map
- lodge
- plot
- trot out
- chart
- lay
- calculate
- frame
- cover