postpone

verb

post·​pone (ˌ)pōs(t)-ˈpōn 

postponed; postponing

transitive verb

1

: to put off to a later time : defer

2

a

: to place later (as in a sentence) than the normal position in English

postpone an adjective

b

: to place later in order of precedence, preference, or importance

postponable

(ˌ)pōs(t)-ˈpō-nə-bəl 

adjective

postponement

(ˌ)pōs(t)-ˈpōn-mənt 

noun

postponer noun

Synonyms

• defer
• delay
• hold off (on)
• hold over
• hold up
• lay over
• put off
• put over
• remit
• shelve

Choose the Right Synonym for postpone

defer, postpone, suspend, stay mean to delay an action or proceeding.

defer implies a deliberate putting off to a later time.

deferred buying a car until spring

postpone implies an intentional deferring usually to a definite time.

the game is postponed until Saturday

suspend implies temporary stoppage with an added suggestion of waiting until some condition is satisfied.

business will be suspended while repairs are underway

stay often suggests the stopping or checking by an intervening agency or authority.

the governor stayed the execution

Examples of postpone in a Sentence

The baseball game was postponed until tomorrow because of rain.

we'll have to postpone a decision until we have all the information

Recent Examples on the Web

Thanks to to novel coronavirus global pandemic, Hugh Jackman’s The Music Man is postponed to spring 2021. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024

Gallant was scheduled to meet with his U.S. counterpart, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in Washington in early October — a trip Gallant initiated — but it was postponed at Netanyahu’s request. —Max Burman, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024

Moore previously had two execution dates postponed as the state sorted through issues that created a 13-year pause in the death penalty, including companies' refusal to sell the state lethal injection drugs, a hurdle that was solved by passing a secrecy law. —Jeffrey Collins The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 2 Nov. 2024

With Aubrey still on the mend, her trip to Disney World — funded by Jamie’s Dream Team — has been postponed until the spring. —Abigail Adams, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin postponere to place after, postpone, from post- + ponere to place — more at position

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

postpone

verb

post·​pone pōs(t)-ˈpōn 

postponed; postponing

: to put off (as an action or event) until a later time

rain forced us to postpone the picnic

postponement

-mənt 

noun

Legal Definition

postpone

transitive verb

post·​pone

postponed; postponing

1

: to put off to a later time

2

: to place later in precedence, preference, or importance

specifically : to subordinate (a lien) to a later lien

postponable adjective

postponement noun