Definitions
- Referring to delaying an event or activity to a later time or date. - Talking about rescheduling a meeting, appointment, or deadline. - Describing the act of putting off something that was planned or scheduled.
- Referring to delaying a decision or action to a later time or date. - Talking about showing respect or yielding to someone else's opinion or authority. - Describing the act of postponing something out of courtesy or respect.
List of Similarities
- 1Both involve delaying or postponing something.
- 2Both can be used in formal or informal contexts.
- 3Both can be used in various tenses and forms.
- 4Both are verbs that describe an action.
What is the difference?
- 1Usage: Postpone is used for events, activities, meetings, or deadlines, while defer is used for decisions, actions, or opinions.
- 2Authority: Defer implies yielding to someone else's opinion or authority, while postpone does not.
- 3Courtesy: Defer can be used to show respect or courtesy, while postpone does not have this connotation.
- 4Formality: Defer is more formal than postpone, which can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
- 5Time: Postpone implies a specific time or date when the event or activity will occur, while defer does not necessarily imply a specific time or date.
Remember this!
Postpone and defer are synonyms that both refer to delaying or putting off something. However, postpone is used for events, activities, meetings, or deadlines, while defer is used for decisions, actions, or opinions. Defer also implies yielding to someone else's opinion or authority and can be used to show respect or courtesy, making it more formal than postpone.
