SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
defer
verb
To postpone something, or to yield to another person's judgment or priority.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Yield to another's judgment
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topDefer to identifies whose wishes or expertise are being respected.
Postpone an action
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topAdjourn pauses a meeting or proceeding; defer applies more broadly to an action or decision.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See defer in use
On questions of restoration, the committee agreed to defer to the conservator.
I must defer to you; you have been waiting longer.
1 more example
The group could defer its discussion of next month's schedule, but it could not postpone the immediate handover instructions.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license