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 of postpone

• defer
• delay

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

That same week, a Cook County judge agreed to postpone a hearing centered on Ford City’s closure until May 15 after some of the mall’s 16 remaining tenants complained. —Audrey Pachuta, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026

Though they were initially supposed to head to trial this March, Lively and Baldoni’s case was postponed to later this month. —Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026

The University of Illinois reportedly postponed all final exams and assignments scheduled for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. —Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026

The chaos left students across the county — many of whom were in the midst of finals — in the lurch, wondering if their assignments could be turned in or would be postponed. —Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026

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

Rhymes for postpone

• alone
• atone
• backbone
• bemoan
• bluestone
• breastbone
• brownstone
• capstone
• cheekbone
• condone
• curbstone
• cyclone

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