confer

4 synonyms and 1 antonym for confer, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Verb — To talk something over with others; to discuss and seek advice.

Synonyms

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

consult

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

bestow confab confabulate

Synonyms by Meaning

1. verb

To talk something over with others; to discuss and seek advice.

“The lawyers conferred before entering the courtroom.”

consult bestow confab confabulate

2. verb

To formally give or grant something, such as a title, honor, or right.

“The university conferred an honorary degree on the retiring professor.”

Opposites

withhold

How to use confer

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

confer with colleagues confer a degree confer a title

Etymology

From Latin cōnferō, "to bring together" — from con- ("together") + ferō ("to carry"). A doublet of "collate."

Full origin of confer →

Frequently asked questions

What does “confer” mean?

The word “confer” means to talk something over with others; to discuss and seek advice. In plain terms, to discuss something with others, or to formally give someone a title, degree, or right.

How do you pronounce “confer”?

“Confer” is pronounced kuhn-FUR (/kənˈfʌɹ/ in IPA).

How do you use “confer” in a sentence?

Here is “confer” used in a sentence: “The lawyers conferred before entering the courtroom.”

What part of speech is “confer”?

“Confer” is a verb.

Where does the word “confer” come from?

The word “confer” comes from Latin. From Latin cōnferō, "to bring together" — from con- ("together") + ferō ("to carry"). A doublet of "collate.".

Is “confer” a common word?

“Confer” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “confer” have?

“Confer” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to talk something over with others; to discuss and seek advice.

Related words

cf cf. collate collation conference

People also searched

consult withhold confab confabulate bestow

Nearby words

← Back to the full definition of confer