# postponed

/poʊˈspoʊnd/ (US) · /pəʊstpˈəʊnd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/postponed
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. delayed to a later time

adjective · CEFR B1

happening later than first planned because the time or date was changed.

For teachers: occurring at a later time than originally scheduled; often used as a predicative adjective.

- The postponed meeting will now take place next Tuesday at noon.
- The postponed match was eventually played under floodlights, though the pitch remained saturated from the earlier storms.

### 2. moved to a later date

verb · CEFR B1

the past action of moving an event to a later time.

For teachers: the past tense or past participle form of the transitive verb 'postpone', meaning to put off to a later time.

- They postponed the wedding until the following summer.
- The board members postponed the vote until they could review the final financial audit in its entirety.

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

## Examples

- The match was postponed because of the heavy rain.
- The committee decided to postpone the vote until next month to allow for more research.
- Due to unforeseen logistical complications and a lack of quorum, the board was forced to postpone the annual general meeting indefinitely.

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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.