defer to + person/opinion
Accepting another person's authority
Use to when you follow someone else's judgment or wishes.
I usually defer to my manager on budget issues.
Defer to, for, from, on or by?
Defer has two main meanings: delay something and accept another person's authority or judgment. Different prepositions express different meanings.
Quick answer
Which prepositions are used with defer?
Use defer to for respecting another person's opinion or postponing something to a later time. Defer by can show the amount of delay. Defer on and defer from are uncommon or nonstandard in most contexts.
We deferred to the expert's opinion.
The meeting was deferred to next week.
The launch was deferred by two months.
The meeting was deferred to next week.
The launch was deferred by two months.
Choose the pattern by meaning
These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.
defer + object + to + time
Postponing something
Use to before a later date or time.
They deferred the vote to Friday.
defer by + amount
Showing the length of a delay
Use by to state how long something is delayed.
The flight was deferred by several hours.
defer for + period
Delaying for a specific duration
For can introduce the period of postponement in some contexts.
The decision was deferred for six months.
See the difference in context
The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.
Construction
Example
Meaning
defer to + person
She deferred to the chairperson.
Accepted another person's authority or judgment.
defer to + time
The hearing was deferred to next month.
Moved to a later time.
defer by + amount
The project was deferred by one year.
States the amount of delay.
defer on
They deferred on the issue.
Uncommon and usually replaced by delay discussion of the issue or defer a decision on the issue.
defer from
He deferred from commenting.
Not a standard modern pattern; avoid it.
Common mistakes
Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.
Using defer from in modern English
Use refrain from or avoid instead.
✕ She deferred from answering. ✓ She refrained from answering.Using on directly after defer
Use defer a decision on something, not usually defer on something.
✕ They deferred on the proposal. ✓ They deferred a decision on the proposal.Quick practice
Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.
1. The committee deferred ___ the senior advisor.
2. The trial was deferred ___ next month.
3. The launch was deferred ___ three weeks.
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Frequently asked questions
What does defer to mean?
It means to accept another person's authority, opinion, or decision.
Can defer mean delay?
Yes. Formal English often uses defer to mean postpone.
Is defer on correct?
It is uncommon in standard English. More natural forms are defer a decision on something or postpone discussion of something.
Related preposition guides
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