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
- defer
- delay
- hold off (on)
- hold over
- hold up
- lay over
- put off
- put over
- remit
- shelve
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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 Her breast cancer diagnoses forced her to postpone and cancel several tours. 
Brandon Griggs, CNN, 8 Aug. 2022 The organization may not have had the option to postpone or move the Florida games, in practical terms. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2022 Online pet products retailer Chewy had been expected as the warehouse tenant, but decided in the spring to postpone or cancel plans for leasing. Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 11 Aug. 2022 But even in those cases where activities cannot be truly eliminated, there's still the potential to postpone or deprioritize them. Mark Murphy, Forbes, 31 July 2022 Some organizations also decided to cancel or postpone gatherings or move them outside. Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2022 But when the pandemic hit in 2020, he was forced to postpone or refund dozens of reservations for guests from all over the world. Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News, 16 June 2022 China’s Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns have led to a shortage of a dye widely used in medical scans, prompting U.S. hospitals including the Mayo Clinic to ration supplies, postpone procedures or switch to less optimal imaging. Peter Loftus, WSJ, 17 May 2022 Four of the couples were able to walk down the aisle, while one couple unfortunately had to postpone due COVID. Shawniece Jackson And Jephte Pierre, PEOPLE.com, 21 July 2022 See More
Brandon Griggs, CNN, 8 Aug. 2022 The organization may not have had the option to postpone or move the Florida games, in practical terms. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2022 Online pet products retailer Chewy had been expected as the warehouse tenant, but decided in the spring to postpone or cancel plans for leasing. Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 11 Aug. 2022 But even in those cases where activities cannot be truly eliminated, there's still the potential to postpone or deprioritize them. Mark Murphy, Forbes, 31 July 2022 Some organizations also decided to cancel or postpone gatherings or move them outside. Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2022 But when the pandemic hit in 2020, he was forced to postpone or refund dozens of reservations for guests from all over the world. Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News, 16 June 2022 China’s Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns have led to a shortage of a dye widely used in medical scans, prompting U.S. hospitals including the Mayo Clinic to ration supplies, postpone procedures or switch to less optimal imaging. Peter Loftus, WSJ, 17 May 2022 Four of the couples were able to walk down the aisle, while one couple unfortunately had to postpone due COVID. Shawniece Jackson And Jephte Pierre, PEOPLE.com, 21 July 2022 See More 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
Kids Definition
postpone
verb
post·pone pōst-ˈpōn
postponed; postponing
: to put off until a later time
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
postpones
verb
as in defers
to assign to a later time we'll have to postpone a decision until we have all the information Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- defers
- delays
- waits
- suspends
- hesitates
- shelves
- holds over
- remits
- lays over
- slows
- puts over
- pauses
- prolongs
- puts off
- holds off (on)
- stays
- lengthens
- protracts
- detains
- extends
- retards
- holds up
- stretches (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- does
- works (on)
- acts
- deals (with)
- decides (upon)