postpone

verb post·pone \(ˌ)pōs(t)-ˈpōn\

: to decide that something which had been planned for a particular time will be done at a later time instead

post·ponedpost·pon·ing

Full Definition of POSTPONE

transitive verb

: to put off to a later time : defer

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

— post·pon·able \-ˈpō-nə-bəl\ adjective

— post·pone·ment \-ˈpōn-mənt\ noun

— post·pon·er noun

See postpone defined for English-language learners

See postpone defined for kids

Origin of POSTPONE

Latin postponere to place after, postpone, from post- + ponere to place — more at position

First Known Use: circa 1520

Synonym Discussion of POSTPONE

defer, postpone, suspend, stay mean to delay an action or proceeding. defer implies a deliberate putting off to a later time <deferred buying a car until spring>. postpone implies an intentional deferring usually to a definite time <the game is postponed until Saturday>. suspend implies temporary stoppage with an added suggestion of waiting until some condition is satisfied <business will be suspended while repairs are under way>. stay often suggests the stopping or checking by an intervening agency or authority <the governor stayed the execution>.

Rhymes with POSTPONE

agon, aitchbone, alone, atone, backbone, Bastogne, bemoan, Big Stone, birthstone, Blackstone, bloodstone, bluestone, bondstone, Boulogne, breastbone, bridge loan, brimstone, brownstone, call loan, calzone, Capone, capstone, cell phone, cheekbone, chinbone, cogon, cologne, Cologne, colon, colón, Colón, condone, copestone, corn pone, curbstone, cyclone, daimon, dapsone, debone, depone, dethrone, dial tone, disown, Dordogne, downzone, dripstone, drop zone, drystone, earphone, earth tone, end zone, enthrone, estrone, fieldstone, firestone, Firestone, flagstone, flowstone, flyblown, footstone, freestone, free zone, full-blown, gallstone, gemstone, Gijón, goldstone, gravestone, greenstone, grindstone, hailstone, halftone, handblown, hard stone, headphone, headstone, hearthstone, high-flown, hip bone, homegrown, hormone, hornstone, impone, ingrown, inkstone, in stone, intone, jawbone, jewel tone, keystone, León, leone, life zone, limestone, lodestone, long bone, Maidstone, milestone, millstone, moonstone, mudstone, nose cone, oilstone, orgone, ozone, pay phone, peptone, pinbone, pinecone, piñon, pipestone, potstone, propone, redbone, red zone, rhinestone, sandstone, shade-grown, shinbone, siltstone, snow cone, soapstone, splint bone, strike zone, T-bone, tailbone, thighbone, time zone, toadstone, tombstone, touchstone, touch-tone, tritone, trombone, turnstone, twelve-tone, two-tone, Tyrone, unknown, unthrone, war zone, well-known, whalebone, wheel-thrown, whetstone, windblown, wishbone, Yangon

POSTPONEMENT Defined for Kids

postpone

verb post·pone \pōst-ˈpōn\

post·ponedpost·pon·ing

Definition of POSTPONE for Kids

: to put off until a later time

— post·pone·ment \-mənt\ noun

Word Root of POSTPONE

The Latin word ponere, meaning “to place” or “to put,” and its form positus give us the roots pon and pos. Words from the Latin ponere have something to do with putting. A position is the location or way in which something has been placed. To expose is to put out in the open. To postpone is to put off until a later time. Posture is the way a body has been placed.