# postpone

/poʊˈspoʊn/ (US) · /pəʊstpˈəʊn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/postpone
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. to delay an event

verb · CEFR B1

to change the time of something so that it happens later than planned.

For teachers: to delay or put off a scheduled event, appointment, or action until a later time.

- The school decided to postpone the sports day because of the heavy rain.
- The board of directors voted to postpone the annual general meeting until the independent audit was fully completed and verified.

Usage: This verb is transitive and requires a direct object, often a noun phrase or a gerund.

### 2. to treat as less important

verb · CEFR C2 · Archaic

to put something in a lower position or treat it as less important than something else.

For teachers: to place after in order of importance or to deem secondary to another consideration.

- In the old text, the author chose to postpone his own needs to those of the king.
- The philosopher argued that one must never postpone the search for truth to the pursuit of material wealth.

Teaching tip: This sense is extremely rare in modern English; students will almost exclusively encounter the 'delay' meaning.

## Examples

- We had to postpone the meeting until next Tuesday.
- The organizers decided to postpone the outdoor concert because the weather forecast predicted heavy rain all weekend.
- While the board agreed to postpone the final vote, they emphasized that a decision must be reached before the end of the fiscal year to satisfy investors.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.