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deferment

deferment

11 6.2
A delay that lets something happen at a later time
  • noun
  • /dɪˈfɜrmənt/
translation icon : aplazamiento
  • Due to unforeseen circumstances, she requested a deferment on her loan repayment.
  • draft deferment

They show that discipline, that long termism, that deferment of gratification in their sport.

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Examples

  • Dear Richie, this letter will serve as confirmation of correspondence concerning the details of your extended deferment.

  • Yet, in his youth, he got a college deferment so he wouldn't have to fight.

    Blog text (26)
  • As long as I can hold on to my student deferment, I'm cool right here.

  • Pop had to pull a lot of strings to get you a deferment.

  • So it turns out you could get a deferment from the draft if you were studying for the clergy.

  • White and well-educated, I had learned how to use the deferment system.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • A few months later, after I'd gone off to college, I'd received my card and my deferment.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • In order to avoid such inequalities, a new draft would presumably offer few deferments of any kind.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Thus, AIBS won for biology students the same draft deferments available to students in other scientific fields.

    Academic text (1997)
  • When the Johnson administration canceled the 2-S deferments in 1968, enrollments declined sharply.

    Academic text (1996)

Synonyms

procrastination
vsdeferment
21 4.8

Delaying tasks you should do until later

covers delaying in general, not necessarily caused by avoidance
postponement
vsdeferment
19 3.4

A delay that makes an event or activity happen later than planned

is similar but is used more as the act itself
deferral
vsdeferment
7 5.8

A delay that moves an event or decision to a later time

has identical meaning but uses a different noun form
shelving
vsdeferment
1 6.0

Delaying a plan or project for later

means ordinary delay rather than setting something aside indefinitely
cunctation
vsdeferment
  • Formal
9.9

Putting off doing something you should do now

is more general and common in everyday use
frist
vsdeferment
  • Archaic
9.9

A short delay that gives someone more time before a punishment or deadline

is broader, covering any delay regardless of length or legal context

How Delayed

shelving
1 6.0
deferment
11 6.2
postponement
19 3.4
to delay
562 1.4

Surface Forms

deferment singular
deferments plural

Morphology

deferment = defer (transparent) = defer + ment

The formation of 'deferment' from 'defer' using the suffix '-ment' is a standard noun formation indicating the act or process of deferring.

Etymology

Deferment comes from Latin parts de- 'away' and ferre 'to carry', the same root you see in transfer. So a deferment is like 'carrying' something away to another time, which explains why it means a delay or postponement.