deferred

deferred — adjective

1. deliberately arranged to happen at a later time than originally planned — for ex

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

deliberately arranged to happen at a later time than originally planned — for example, a student starting university after a gap year, or a payment moved to a future date instead of being made right away.

Example

Andrés took a gap year, so his university place was deferred for a year.

passive: was deferred + time phrase 'for a year'

The company offered Christopher a deferred payment plan for the new equipment.

attributive: deferred payment plan

Common collocations
  • deferred payment
  • deferred admission
  • deferred sentence
  • deferred compensation
  • deferred taxation
  • deferred maintenance
Synonyms
  • postponed

    more common in everyday speech; 'deferred' is slightly more formal and often used in writing or institutional contexts

  • delayed

    broader meaning — can describe things running behind schedule unintentionally, whereas 'deferred' implies a deliberate decision

  • rescheduled

    focuses on the new arrangement rather than the fact of being moved later

Antonyms
  • immediate

    describes something that happens without delay, the opposite of being put off

  • upfront

    used especially for payments or costs that are paid at once rather than later

Grammar Patterns

deferred + noun

be + deferred

Usage Note

Frequently used in compound noun phrases where the second noun names what is being postponed — for example, deferred payment (a payment delayed until a later date), deferred admission (a student's start at a school pushed to a later term), or deferred sentence (a court's punishment decision postponed). The subject is usually a plan, event, or obligation rather than a person.

Common Mistakes

The train was deferred by twenty minutes.
The train was delayed by twenty minutes.
'Deferred' is used for planned events whose timing is changed by a deliberate decision, not for unexpected disruptions like transport running late.
I deferred my doctor appointment.' (if speaking about a casual, personal schedule change)
I postponed my doctor appointment.
'Defer' sounds too formal for everyday personal scheduling; use 'postpone' or 'put off' instead.

Word family

  • defer
    verbB2
  • deferment
    nounC1
  • deferral
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three words describe something happening later than originally planned, but they differ in tone and implication. 'Postponed' is the most neutral, everyday choice — suitable for meetings, events, or appointments ('the meeting was postponed to Friday'). 'Delayed' is broader and often neutral-to-negative, covering both deliberate and accidental hold-ups ('the flight was delayed by fog'). 'Deferred' is noticeably more formal and tends to appear in institutional, financial, or legal contexts ('deferred payment', 'deferred admission'). It also carries a stronger implication of a conscious, official decision rather than a mere mishap. 'Rescheduled' focuses on the new arrangement and works best when a specific replacement time has been set ('the class was rescheduled for Tuesday').

postponeddelayedrescheduled

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • on a deferred basis

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Comes from the Latin verb 'differre' (dis- meaning 'apart' + ferre meaning 'to carry or bear'), which literally meant 'to carry apart' and figuratively 'to postpone'. The word entered English through Old French 'differer' in the 14th century. The past-participle form 'deferred' came to be used as an adjective by the 1600s.