What does deferring mean?
"Deferring" is the present participle of the verb "defer," which has two related but distinct meanings. In its most common sense, it means to postpone or put off an action, payment, or decision until a later time, as when a student defers admission to university or a company defers tax payments. In its second sense, it means to yield courteously to another person's judgment, opinion, or wishes — one defers to an expert, a senior colleague, or established custom. The word derives from Latin ferre, "to carry" or "to bear." Its tone is formal to neutral, and it generally connotes prudence, respect, or restraint rather than indecision or weakness. The two senses are kept apart by grammar: postponement takes a direct object, while submission takes "to." Related forms include "deferred," "deferral," and "deferrable."
verbThe present participle and gerund of "defer," meaning either to postpone or delay something until a later time, or to submit politely to the opinion, wishes, or judgment of another person.
- To postpone or delay an action, decision, or event to a later time.
- To submit respectfully to the judgment, opinion, or wishes of another person.
"She is deferring her final decision until the committee reports next month."
"The board is deferring its vote on the merger until the auditors finish their review."
"Though he disagreed, he ended up deferring to his mentor's long experience in the field."
At its root, "defer" comes from the Latin ferre, "to carry" — so when you defer, you literally carry something forward to later, or carry yourself downward in humility before someone else.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of deferring
"Defer" entered English in the late Middle English period, borrowed from Old French "deferer," which derived from Latin "deferre" — a compound of "de-" (down or away) and "ferre" (to carry), literally meaning "to carry down" or "carry away." The Latin root ferre is among the most productive in English, also giving rise to words such as "prefer," "refer," "transfer," and "confer." The postponement sense and the sense of submitting to another both developed from the core idea of setting something aside for later consideration.
Related word forms
How deferring is actually used
The two senses are distinguished by construction: the postponement sense typically takes a direct object (deferring payment, deferring a decision), while the submission sense usually takes "to" plus the person or thing yielded to (deferring to someone's expertise). The word carries a neutral-to-formal register and often implies patience, prudence, or humility rather than weakness.
Easily confused with deferring
"Differing" means being unlike or disagreeing, while "deferring" means postponing something or yielding to another person.