Defer Meaning
/dɪˈfɜː/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
verbTo delay or postpone.
verbTo delay or postpone., to postpone induction into military service.
Sentence Examples
I defer to your judgement.
Suppose then that we defer the marriage till the autumn.
CEFR Practice Quiz
We should ____ making the final decision until we have more data.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
I ____ to your judgement.
Word Origin & History
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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Deferre the ſpoile of the Citie vntill night:"
— 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vii], page 141, column 2:
"My journey to Ingolstadt, which had been deferred by these events, was now again determined upon."
— 1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], chapter II, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume I, London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, published 1 January 1818, →OCLC, page 65:
"God […] will not long defer / To vindicate the glory of his name"
— 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 34, lines 474–476:
"Hereupon the commissioners […] deferred the matter to the Earl of Northumberland."
— 1622, Francis Bacon, History of the Reign of King Henry VII:
""Defer/Defer/To the Lord High Executioner.""
— 1885, W.S. Gilbert, Arthur Sullivan, The Mikado:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
We should ____ making the final decision until we have more data.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
I ____ to your judgement.