deferment

noun

de·​fer·​ment di-ˈfər-mənt 

: the act of delaying or postponing

specifically : official postponement of military service

Examples of deferment in a Sentence

She requested a six-month deferment on her loan.

She requested deferment of her loan.

the policies of military deferment

Recent Examples on the Web

The settlement agreement will end the SAVE plan, but would allow certain deferment and forbearance periods that are currently enjoined to count again toward student loan forgiveness. —Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026

Borrowers in especially difficult financial circumstances can look into options to pause their payments altogether, such as through the economic hardship deferment or unemployment deferment. —Annie Nova, CNBC, 20 Jan. 2026

Tesla sought the deferment this week from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is probing the suite of features the company also refers to as FSD. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2026

This was from a man who avoided the war with four student deferments and a medical deferment for bone spurs in his heel. —David Remnick, New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

defer entry 1 + -ment

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing deferment

• college/student deferment

Rhymes for deferment

• conferment
• preferment

Kids Definition

deferment

noun

de·​fer·​ment di-ˈfər-mənt 

: the act of delaying