verb
defer
dih-FUR
verb
1
To put something off until a later time; to postpone.
"The university let him defer his admission for a year."
"They deferred the decision until after the holidays."
2
To yield to someone else's opinion, judgment, or authority.
"On matters of design, I defer to my business partner."
How to Use Defer
Learner’s notes
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "differ" (to be unlike) even though they share a Latin ancestor — "defer" is about postponing or yielding, "differ" is about being different.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
defer to someone's judgment
defer payment
Word Forms
deferred past tense, deferred past tense, defers singular, defers singular
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The university let him _____ his admission for a year.
Etymology
From Old French differer, from Latin differō — the same ultimate root as "differ," making them doublets of each other.