Defer
To postpone or delay something; or to yield to someone else's judgment or authority.
verbDefer
To postpone or delay something; or to yield to someone else's judgment or authority.
verbImagine This
Imagine a student at a deadline who closes a door labeled 'Next Week' and says, 'I will defer this decision until I have more information.' Later, in a team meeting, the student defers to the mentor's judgment, stepping back and letting the mentor decide.
Sounds Like
dee-FUR
Looks Like
Looks like 'refer' with the prefix de-; visually it is de- + fer (to bear).
Remember This
Defer has two main meanings: (1) to postpone or delay something, (2) to yield to someone else's judgment or authority (as in defer to an expert). The common noun forms are deferral and deferment.
Other Forms
Connect With
delay, postpone, yield, deference, deference to authority
Note
Use defer with a direct object (defer a decision, defer payment). When you say 'deferral' or 'deferrment/deferral,' you refer to the act of postponing. When you say 'defer to someone,' you mean yield to their opinion or authority. Do not confuse with 'refer' (to mention or direct) or 'offer' (to present).