proffer

verb prof·fer \ ˈprä-fər \

Updated on: 24 Apr 2018

Definition of proffer

proffered; proffering play \ˈprä-f(ə-)riŋ\

transitive verb

: to present for acceptance : tender, offer

intransitive verb

US law

: to offer to take part in a proffer session

decided that an indictment was unlikely and there was no reason to proffer

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proffer was our Word of the Day on 08/24/2009. Hear the podcast!

Examples of proffer in a Sentence

He proffered advice on how best to proceed.
proffered his assistance in helping the two sides reach a compromise

Recent Examples of proffer from the Web

In June, the federation immediately adopted 70 recommendations proffered by Deborah Daniels, a former federal prosecutor who oversaw the review.

— Washington Post, "Gymnast McKayla Maroney alleges sexual abuse by team doctor," 18 Oct. 2017
On the streets, residents walk with expressions of dazed disbelief, feeding popsicles proffered by volunteers to antsy children and trying to salvage beds, wardrobes and televisions from wrecked concrete houses.

— robbie whelan, WSJ, "From Rubble and Ruin, a Mexican Town Wonders How to Rebuild After the Earthquake," 21 Sep. 2017
For decades, these men tore through women with perverse immunity, proffering carnal quid pro quo, threatening women’s livelihoods or, in the case of Bill Cosby, allegedly straight-up rendering them unconscious before taking advantage of them.

— quinn cummings, Esquire, "I Was a Child Actress in Hollywood. There Were Always Whispers.," 27 Oct. 2017
Hezekiah Allen, executive director of the California Growers Association, said cannabis cultivators welcome collaborative research projects such as those proffered by SMUD – but have their own way of doings things.

— hudson sangree, sacbee, "Pot growers in Sacramento will need a lot of electricity. SMUD wants to help," 23 Oct. 2017
For the new study, Allen and colleagues observed male humpback dolphins proffering sponges to females on 17 occasions along a 1,000-mile stretch of northwestern Australia.

— john pickrell, National Geographic, "Male Dolphins Offer Likely Love Token to Females in Rare Video," 20 Oct. 2017
In the tapestry, hundreds of small figures, with skin rendered in near-white neutrals and clothing in mostly blood- or rust-red, along with details proffered in forest green, almost crowd out the black background.

— peter plagens, WSJ, "A Very Modern Tapestry—From the 1600s," 20 Oct. 2017
Plenty of theories have been proffered, including the possibility of juiced balls and juiced players.

— jorge l. ortiz, USA TODAY, "Why MLB players are hitting home runs on a record pace," 19 Sep. 2017
This year, Democrats have proffered 24 bills that relate to money in politics, compared to six filed by Republicans, according to an analysis by Issue One.

— Time, "Democrats Say Citizens United Should Die. Here’s Why That Won’t Happen," 31 Aug. 2017

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

Did You Know?

You may notice a striking similarity between "proffer" and "offer." Are the two words connected by etymology? Yes, indeed. "Proffer" comes from Anglo-French profrer, which itself is an alteration of the earlier "porofrir." That word in turn combines "por-" (which means "forth" and is related to our "pro-") and "offrir" (which means "to offer" and is an ancestor of our word offer). "Proffer" entered English in the 14th century. A more literary word than plain "offer," it adds or puts stress on the idea of voluntariness, spontaneity, or courtesy on the part of the one doing the tendering.

Origin and Etymology of proffer

Middle English profren, from Anglo-French profrer, proffrir, porofrir, from por- forth (from Latin pro-) + offrir to offer — more at pro-

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense

See Words from the same year

proffer Synonyms

Phrases

run by (or run past);

proffer

noun

Definition of proffer

1 : offer, suggestion

2 US law : an offer made to a prosecutor by a person who is a subject of a criminal investigation to provide information in exchange for limited immunity or a plea bargaining agreement