J. A. Michener
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There are two distinct words spelled defer in English, each with its own history and meaning. The defer having to do with allowing someone else to decide or choose something, or with agreeing to follow someone else’s decision, tradition, etc., (as in “He deferred to his parents’ wishes”) comes from the Latin verb dēferre, meaning “to bring down, convey, transfer, submit.” The defer synonymous with delay comes from Latin differre, which itself has several meanings, including two that resound in its English descendant: “to postpone” and “to delay.” Another meaning of differre is “to be unlike or distinct,” which makes apparent another of its descendants: differ, meaning “to be different.”
Synonyms
Examples of defer in a Sentence
Wall Street Journal, 9 Jan. 2006
A far stronger signal came when the draft was revived, shortly before the United States entered World War II. Although married men with families were eligible for induction, in many cases up to the age of forty, high school students were automatically deferred.
—Thomas Hine, American Heritage, September 1999
The decision was deferred for a time. John didn't want to do anything drastic until after October …
—Joe Klein, Payback, 1984
we agreed to defer a discussion of the issue until we had more information
Verb (2)
But in 1775, when William chose loyalty to empire over deference to his father, Franklin abruptly, angrily, and permanently broke with his son. Despite having defied his own father (in leaving Boston), Franklin pulled patriarchal rank to demand that his son defer to his politics: "there are natural duties which precede political ones, and cannot be extinguished by them."
—Alan Taylor, New Republic, 13 Jan. 2003
Israelis can be harsh with each other, but they defer to the security guards who check their backpacks at the mall entrances. They put their faith in the Army.
—David Brooks, Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2001
David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
In 2023, only 14% of employees deferred the maximum amount into 401(k) plans, according to Vanguard’s 2024 How America Saves report, which included data from 1,500 qualified plans and nearly 5 million participants.
—Kate Dore, Cfp®, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2024
When the proceeds from such divestment are put in say, a mutual fund, the taxes are technically deferred until the new assets are sold.
—Bygreg McKenna, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2024
Ohtani agreed to play for $2 million this season, so the Dodgers could defer the remaining $68 million and allocate funds toward fortifying the roster.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for defer 
Dictionary Entries Near defer
Cite this Entry
“Defer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defer. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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defer
2 of 2 verbVerb
Middle English deferren, differren "to put off, delay," from early French differer (same meaning), from Latin differre "to postpone, be different," from dif-, dis- "apart" and ferre "to bear, carry, yield" — related to defer entry 2, fertile, offer, refer, transfer
Verb
Middle English deferren, differren "to entrust to another person," from early French deferer, defferer (same meaning), derived from Latin deferre "to bring down," from de- "down, from, away" and ferre "to bear, carry" — related to defer entry 1
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