deferred

adjective

de·​ferred di-ˈfərd 

1

: withheld for or until a stated time

a deferred payment

2

: charged in cases of delayed handling

telegraphs sent at deferred rates

Examples of deferred in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some financing programs offer promotional interest-free periods, but charge deferred interest if the balance is not paid within the specified timeframe. — William Jones, Charlotte Observer, 25 June 2026

That gap reflects deferred leadership decisions about scope and authority. — Cindy Rodriguez Constable, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

Major League Baseball proposed limiting most free-agent contracts to five years and 15% of a team’s salary cap and to eliminate deferred compensation, fleshing out details of a salary-cap plan likely to spark a confrontation with the players association. — Ronald Blum, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026

Trump deferred questions about the criminal investigation and the proof of intentional damage to the pool to the National Park Service, which manages the National Mall where the pool is located, and its parent organization, the Department of the Interior. — Mike Stunson, USA Today, 24 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of defer entry 1

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing deferred

• tax-deferred

Rhymes for deferred

• afterword
• firebird
• hummingbird
• ladybird
• mockingbird
• overheard
• thunderbird
• undergird
• undeterred
• absurd
• averred
• bluebird

Legal Definition

deferred

adjective

de·​ferred

di-ˈfərd

: withheld or delayed for or until a stated time

a deferred payment

deferred prosecution