deferral

noun

de·​fer·​ral di-ˈfər-əl How to pronounce deferral (audio)
Synonyms of deferralnext
: the act of delaying : postponement

Examples of deferral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The alternative—automate the predictable 90% and let the other 10% pile up in someone's inbox—is just a deferral. — Krupesh Bhat, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Then there's the contract deferrals, which are a constant source of misinformation. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026 In December, the back-to-back defending-champion Dodgers signed Díaz to a three-year, $69 million contract with deferrals, barely edging the Mets’ offer. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026 Kennedy has said that the campaign is aimed at preventing improper payments instead of recovering them after the fact, with the Administration increasingly using payment deferrals and pre-payment reviews of Medicaid claims. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for deferral

Word History

Etymology

defer entry 1 + -al entry 2

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deferral was in 1865

Rhymes for deferral

See All Rhymes for deferral

Browse Nearby Words

deferrable
deferral
deferred
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deferral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deferral. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on deferral

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for deferral

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gist

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All