postpone

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English

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Etymology

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From Latin postpōnō (“I put after; I postpone”) from post (“after”) + pōnō (“I put; I place”), compare forestall.

Pronunciation

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Verb

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postpone (third-person singular simple present postpones, present participle postponing, simple past and past participle postponed)

  1. To delay or put off an event, appointment, etc.
    Synonyms: defer, delay, forestay, hold off, procrastinate, put off, put on ice, stay, suspend, posticipate, prorogue
    Antonyms: advance, hasten, prepone (India), antedate, bring forward, expedite
    • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter VII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
      “ […] Churchill, my dear fellow, we have such greedy sharks, and wolves in lamb's clothing. Oh, dear, there's so much to tell you, so many warnings to give you, but all that must be postponed for the moment.”
    • 2020 December 2, Industry Insider, “The costs on cutting carbon”, in Rail, page 76:
      Significant rail projects have been mothballed before in the face of changed circumstances – in particular, the LNER Woodhead project which was postponed due to wartime conditions and not revived until 1948, as money became available after nationalisation.
  2. (obsolete) To place after in order; to deem less important.
    • 1687, Isaac Barrow, A Treatise of the Pope's Supremacy, 3rd edition, page 161:
      Why should the See of Antioch, that most ancient and truly Apostolical Church, where the Christian name began […] be postponed to Alexandria?

Antonyms

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Coordinate terms

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Translations

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Latin

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Verb

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postpōne

  1. second-person singular present active imperative of postpōnō

Spanish

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Verb

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postpone

  1. third-person singular present indicative of postponer
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