deferment

noun

de·​fer·​ment di-ˈfər-mənt How to pronounce deferment (audio)
Synonyms of defermentnext
: the act of delaying or postponing
specifically : official postponement of military service

Examples of deferment in a Sentence

She requested a six-month deferment on her loan. She requested deferment of her loan. the policies of military deferment
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In January 2025, the government said about 950,000 men had deferments at the request of businesses. — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026 Keep in mind that interest continues to accrue during deferment, which can increase the total cost of the loan. — Jasmin Suknanan, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026 Federal loans allow in-school deferment as long as you are enrolled at least half time. — Miranda Marquit, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026 Compare available hardship forbearance, deferment and other payment-relief options. — Amy Deyoung, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deferment

Word History

Etymology

defer entry 1 + -ment

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deferment was in 1607

Phrases Containing deferment

Rhymes for deferment

See All Rhymes for deferment

Browse Nearby Words

deferentiality
deferment
deferrable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deferment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deferment. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

deferment

noun
de·​fer·​ment di-ˈfər-mənt How to pronounce deferment (audio)
: the act of delaying

More from Merriam-Webster on deferment

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for deferment

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All