I. də̇ˈfər, dēˈ-, +V -ˈfər.; -ˈfə̄, +V -ˈfər. or -ˈfə̄(r verb
( deferred ; deferred ; deferring ; defers )
Etymology: Middle English deferren, differren, from Middle French differer, from Latin differre to postpone, be different — more at differ
transitive verb
1. : delay
God … will not long defer to vindicate … His name — John Milton
as
a. : to put off (a matter or person to be dealt with) deliberately to a future time
deferred payment of a debt
deferred talking with the boy
b. : to postpone induction of (a person) into military service
2. obsolete : to waste (time) by delay : prolong
intransitive verb
: to delay to act : wait , procrastinate
able to defer and temporize at leisure — J.A.Symonds
Synonyms:
postpone , intermit , suspend , stay : defer indicates a delaying or putting off till a later time, often in recognition of developments that prevent proceeding
reluctantly, he made up his mind to defer the more exacting examinations until another time — A.J.Cronin
not more than three or four men could be found to continue the work, and its completion was long deferred — American Guide Series: Michigan
postpone indicates a deferring, often until some set future time, although to postpone indefinitely means to cancel
I think that we had better postpone our look round the church until after lunch — Compton Mackenzie
let us postpone a final evaluation of Valla's treatise until after we have considered the handling of the selfsame problem by the English scholastic, Reginald Pecock — G.C.Sellery
intermit suggests halting or delaying for a relatively short interval, usually with the implication of a quick resumption
seven centuries of hardly intermitted war created the Spanish people and they, the most medieval people in western Europe, created the Kingdom of Spain — Bernard DeVoto
suspend indicates a stopping or rendering inoperative for a time, usually for a reason explicit or implicit in the context
newspaper publication suspended during a strike
shall I suspend final decision until I have further evidence? — M.R.Cohen
had his driving license suspended for a month. Too many tickets — Raymond Chandler
stay suggests stopping activity or progress by or as if by interposing some obstacle
an order staying the execution
in September the injunction was stayed and on October 5 set aside by the Supreme Court — Current Biography
believing that by remaining neutral she could stay the forces of war — E.M.Coulter
II. verb
( deferred ; deferred ; deferring ; defers )
Etymology: Middle English deferren, differren, from Middle French defferer, deferer, from Late Latin deferre, from Latin, to bring down, bring, from de- + ferre to carry — more at bear (to carry)
transitive verb
1. : to refer or submit for determination or decision
he could defer his job to no one … if he did judge wrong, carnage on the carrier deck could be fearful — J.A.Michener
the court defers its own opinion to that of congress — C.P.Curtis
2. : proffer , offer , tender
intransitive verb
: to submit or yield through authority, respect, force, awe, propriety — used with to
he assumed authority … everybody deferred to him — Ellen Glasgow
Synonyms: see yield