confer

verb

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con·fer | \ kən-ˈfər

conferred; conferring

Definition of confer

intransitive verb

: to compare views or take counsel : consult

transitive verb

1 : to bestow from or as if from a position of superiority conferred an honorary degree on her knowing how to read was a gift conferred with manhood— Murray Kempton

2 : to give (something, such as a property or characteristic) to someone or something a reputation for power will confer power— John Spanier

Other Words from confer Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Confer vs. Consult More Example Sentences Learn More about confer

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Choose the Right Synonym for confer

give, present, donate, bestow, confer, afford mean to convey to another as a possession. give, the general term, is applicable to any passing over of anything by any means. give alms gave her a ride on a pony give my love to your mother present carries a note of formality and ceremony. present an award donate is likely to imply a publicized giving (as to charity). donate a piano to the orphanage bestow implies the conveying of something as a gift and may suggest condescension on the part of the giver. bestow unwanted advice confer implies a gracious giving (as of a favor or honor). confer an honorary degree afford implies a giving or bestowing usually as a natural or legitimate consequence of the character of the giver. the trees afford shade a development that affords us some hope

Confer vs. Consult

Confer and consult are very closely related in meaning, and each has senses that are synonymous with the other’s. But as is so often the case with near-synonyms, there are contexts in which one word is preferable to the other.

If you confer with someone, it is entirely possible that you will be seeking advice, but you could also simply be having a discussion (“they conferred privately before making a decision”). If you are consulting someone or something, it is more likely that you are seeking advice (“he consulted his doctor before deciding on a course of treatment”). Consult is unambiguously the correct choice when one is seeking guidance or information from a non-human source; you would consult (not confer with) a dictionary for information on a word.

The sense of confer that is concerned with giving something (as in, “education confers many benefits”) is not shared by consult.

Examples of confer in a Sentence

The cameleers … conferred with each other about the safest path across. — Greg Child, Mixed Emotions: Mountaineering Writings of Greg Child, 1993 He liked the ease and glitter of the life, and the lustre conferred on him by being a member of this group of rich and conspicuous people. — Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth, 1905 It was a traditional compliment to be whinged at by an Englishman. It was his way of saying he trusted you, he was conferring upon you the privilege of getting to know the real him. — Margaret Atwood, New Yorker, 5 Mar.1990 The lawyer and judge conferred about the ruling. the British monarch continues to confer knighthood on those who are outstanding in their fields of endeavor

Recent Examples on the Web Through a stake that confers 20% of voting rights, the state of Lower Saxony can block strategic moves. — The Economist, "Porsche is small but highly lucrative," 12 Sep. 2019 By identifying cells that developed resistance to the drug, known as OTS964, and sequencing them for mutations that confer that trait, the lab showed the drug instead blocks the protein CDK11, which plays a different role in cell proliferation. — Jocelyn Kaiser, Science | AAAS, "Some cancer drugs miss their target. CRISPR could improve their aim," 11 Sep. 2019 Here are the best hotel credit cards (and one special-exception non-hotel card) that confer automatic elite status. — Eric Rosen, Condé Nast Traveler, "These 7 Hotel Credit Cards Give You Elite Status Just for Signing Up," 29 Aug. 2019 Reich inherited Andrew Luck, who was an exciting windfall for the 2-14 season that conferred the No. 1 pick in 2012 on the Colts. — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: Rivers is why Chargers’ “injury luck” is better than often portrayed," 20 Aug. 2019 Lithium-ion batteries have the same basic building blocks as alkaline AA cells, with a few differences that confer major advantages. — Robert Masse, The Conversation, "How do lithium-ion batteries work?," 15 July 2019 By contrast, a mutation that confers a tenfold fitness advantage is almost certain to fix (p = 0.9), while one that has a twofold fitness advantage has an even chance of fixation (p = 0.5). — Quanta Magazine, "Solution: ‘Evolutionary Math and Just-So Stories’," 7 Sep. 2018 Some in government wanted to mark the anniversary by conferring the order on countries and institutions that helped in the independence struggle. — The Economist, "A row about medals reveals disputes about East Timor’s history," 12 Sep. 2019 For all the attention conferred on players for lapses in sportsmanship, here’s counterprogramming. — Jon Wertheim, SI.com, "50 Parting Thoughts From the 2019 U.S. Open," 8 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'confer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.