Word
defer
Phoneticsde·fer, stress on the second syllable
US/dɪˈfɝ/
UK/dɪfˈɜː/
Formal
Definition
v. to delay something until a later time, or to let someone else decide because you respect their opinion.
v. to postpone an action or event to a future date; alternatively, to submit to another's authority or judgment out of respect.
Examples
“The committee decided to defer the vote until next month.”
“I will defer to my manager's expertise on this technical matter since she has more experience.”
“While the board initially wanted to proceed, they chose to defer the final decision until the environmental impact report was fully vetted by independent consultants.”
Examples
simple
“The committee decided to defer the vote until next month.”
contextual
“I will defer to my manager's expertise on this technical matter since she has more experience.”
complex
“While the board initially wanted to proceed, they chose to defer the final decision until the environmental impact report was fully vetted by independent consultants.”
Usage
When meaning to submit to someone, it is intransitive and takes the preposition 'to'. When meaning to postpone, it is transitive and takes a direct object.
Pitfall
I defer my decision to next week
I deferred my decision until next week
When meaning to postpone, 'defer' is often confused with 'delay'; it typically implies a formal or deliberate choice to wait.
Etymology
Originally a variant of (and hence a doublet of) differ; from Middle English differren (“to postpone”), from Old French differer, from Latin differō. Doublet of differ and dilate. See also infer, collate and confer, delate and defer, relate and refer as well as prelate and prefer among others.
From late Middle English differren (“to refer for judgement”), from Middle French déférer, from Latin dēferō. Doublet of delate. See also infer, collate and confer, relate and refer, as well as prelate and prefer among others.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/defer