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
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Recent Examples of conferring
The chemical is believed to work in a number of ways—jamming smell detectors so that mosquitoes cannot recognize a human or animal target, conferring a bitter taste that mosquitoes detect on their feet, or mimicking the smell of natural mosquito-repelling plants.
—
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 28 May 2026
After conferring, the umpires agreed, ruling her out.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026
That, too, will include conferring with his family.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 17 May 2026
Third base umpire Jordan Baker signaled out but after conferring with his crew ruled Lewis had used his right foot to leave Chourio no path to the base.
—CBS News, 16 May 2026
The other is fooling humans, particularly the dwindling number of journalists, critics, and other gatekeepers who are still capable of conferring legitimacy by paying attention.
—Lane Brown, Vulture, 15 May 2026
Much of his time was spent conferring with lawyers in Russia appealing the conviction.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 10 May 2026
At City, Jeglertz has been praised for conferring freedom and flexibility and thus more tactical dynamism compared to the more rigid and strict possession-style football espoused by former manager Taylor.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 1 May 2026
One of the main challenges faced by SEJ as a media development organization is to engage the public both as an audience and as an actor through its possible contribution to the global process of conferring to the environment a high-priority status.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 May 2026
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 28 May 2026
After conferring, the umpires agreed, ruling her out.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026
That, too, will include conferring with his family.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 17 May 2026
Third base umpire Jordan Baker signaled out but after conferring with his crew ruled Lewis had used his right foot to leave Chourio no path to the base.
—CBS News, 16 May 2026
The other is fooling humans, particularly the dwindling number of journalists, critics, and other gatekeepers who are still capable of conferring legitimacy by paying attention.
—Lane Brown, Vulture, 15 May 2026
Much of his time was spent conferring with lawyers in Russia appealing the conviction.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 10 May 2026
At City, Jeglertz has been praised for conferring freedom and flexibility and thus more tactical dynamism compared to the more rigid and strict possession-style football espoused by former manager Taylor.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 1 May 2026
One of the main challenges faced by SEJ as a media development organization is to engage the public both as an audience and as an actor through its possible contribution to the global process of conferring to the environment a high-priority status.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conferring
Verb
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Starting in the late 19th century, Congress enacted a series of laws granting federal workers job protections as a way to shield the government from corruption and provide continuity from one presidential administration to the next.—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
3 June 2026
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Alongside creators like Mark Rober, Dude Perfect, Clix, PrestonPlayz, and more, Donaldson spent the day granting wishes for kids who also got surprise visits from Marvel superstars Anthony Mackie and Paul Bettany and an evening celebration with a live Avengers show and activations from YouTube.—
Jon Youshaei,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Sonko and Faye had diverged on how to resolve the crisis, but the formation of a new government may clarify the path forward, Paul Melly, a consulting fellow at UK think tank Chatham House, told Semafor.—
Jenny Vaughan,
semafor.com,
2 June 2026
-
After consulting with its attorneys, the board conceded, accepting a settlement offer that would allow the data center to proceed with only minimal concessions from the firm.—
Andrew Cockburn,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
Verb
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The text messages in 2024 between Johnson and Duffey revealed that the two men used suggestive language while discussing women colleagues.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
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Orange County leadership has already begun discussing how to respond to the rise in injuries, and I am encouraged by their willingness to engage this issue with seriousness and care.—
Myron Rolle,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 May 2026
Verb
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In a loss, OpenAI could face pressure to implement remedies like age-gating free ChatGPT accounts to protect kids, shutting down conversations that discuss violence and suicide, and removing features that the state says deceptively make ChatGPT feel like talking to a human.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
1 June 2026
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Cannavaro is not the first global football star to infiltrate Uzbek football (Rivaldo played for Bunyodkor for three years towards the end of his career) but his appointment certainly got a football-mad nation talking.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conferring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conferring. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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