1
as in granting
to give the ownership or benefit of (something) formally or publicly
the British monarch continues to confer knighthood on those who are outstanding in their fields of endeavor
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in consulting
to exchange viewpoints or seek advice for the purpose of finding a solution to a problem
my parents are going to confer with a financial adviser about saving for their retirement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of conferring
In my view, by conferring this title on Summers, Harvard is signaling that powerful men can outlast gross misconduct with their honorifics intact.
—
Yana Van Der Meulen Rodgers, The Conversation, 27 Feb. 2026
At City Hall, before taking council members’ public comments, the committee went into executive session, conferring privately while a large crowd waited for members to address the billion-dollar question in open session.
—Dallas Morning News, 23 Feb. 2026
The neighborhood/area Mount Etna’s dark mass looms over Zash and the surrounding area, conferring special energy and fertile soil where olive groves, fruit trees, and more exotic cacti and banana trees vie for space.
—Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
Sitting with Cucinelli is like conferring with a living history book.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Jan. 2026
Later, after conferring with the official, Izzo had clarification on Davis’ transgression.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Egypt has long been a permanent fixture of the tourism circuit, its pyramids and mummies conferring an indelible allure.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 21 Dec. 2025
Pumping his fist and scribbling notes Mangione stayed active throughout the hearing, taking notes, reading documents, conferring with his lawyers and occasionally looking back toward his two-dozen or so supporters in the courtroom gallery.
—Michael R. Sisak, Fortune, 18 Dec. 2025
Speaking while flying to Brussels for meetings with officials of NATO and the European Union after conferring with the leaders of Britain, France and Germany in London, Zelensky said the talks had made progress.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 8 Dec. 2025
Yana Van Der Meulen Rodgers, The Conversation, 27 Feb. 2026
At City Hall, before taking council members’ public comments, the committee went into executive session, conferring privately while a large crowd waited for members to address the billion-dollar question in open session.
—Dallas Morning News, 23 Feb. 2026
The neighborhood/area Mount Etna’s dark mass looms over Zash and the surrounding area, conferring special energy and fertile soil where olive groves, fruit trees, and more exotic cacti and banana trees vie for space.
—Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
Sitting with Cucinelli is like conferring with a living history book.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Jan. 2026
Later, after conferring with the official, Izzo had clarification on Davis’ transgression.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Egypt has long been a permanent fixture of the tourism circuit, its pyramids and mummies conferring an indelible allure.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 21 Dec. 2025
Pumping his fist and scribbling notes Mangione stayed active throughout the hearing, taking notes, reading documents, conferring with his lawyers and occasionally looking back toward his two-dozen or so supporters in the courtroom gallery.
—Michael R. Sisak, Fortune, 18 Dec. 2025
Speaking while flying to Brussels for meetings with officials of NATO and the European Union after conferring with the leaders of Britain, France and Germany in London, Zelensky said the talks had made progress.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 8 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conferring
Verb
-
Antitrust precedent History and contemporary legal practice aren’t on the side of Congress granting an antitrust exemption, and even when exemptions are enacted, the Supreme Court has stressed they must be narrowly construed.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Now, attorneys are filing habeas petitions to federal courts because immigration courts are no longer granting clients bond hearings.—
Bridget Fogarty,
jsonline.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Drayton is a political consulting entrepreneur and the former director of the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Mar. 2026
-
That later Presidents did indeed engage in military action without consulting Congress, creeping on to a power reserved for the legislature, is a fact of the past century and a half of American history but especially since the rise of the national-security state during the Cold War.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
While discussing the current compensation system in college sports, the president went on a tirade against the Supreme Court for unanimously ruling against the NCAA’s restrictions on noncash compensation for college athletes in 2021.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Mar. 2026
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In footage played in court showing the women following an unmarked vehicle, they can be heard discussing their plan to observe an ICE raid.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
After all, talking to a defiant teen can be like tiptoeing through a minefield—the smallest misstep could set off an argument.—
Staff Author,
Parents,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Live Nation was reportedly talking with other DOJ officials outside of the antitrust division looking to settle, though the case proceeded after Subramanian denied Live Nation’s motion to dismiss the case last month while cutting out some claims to narrow the suit.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conferring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conferring. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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