Pronunciation: /dɪˈfɜr tuː/

Definitions of defer to

verb to yield to someone else's judgment or opinion

Example Sentences

A1 I defer to my parents for advice on important decisions.

A2 She always defers to her boss's opinion during meetings.

B1 As a team leader, I often defer to my team members' expertise in their respective areas.

B2 The judge will defer to the jury's decision in this case.

C1 In matters of diplomacy, countries often defer to international law.

C2 The CEO defers to the board of directors on major company decisions.

preposition used to indicate that one person or thing belongs to or is associated with another

Example Sentences

A1 I always defer to my older sister when making decisions.

A2 The team decided to defer to the expert's opinion on the matter.

B1 In legal matters, it is important to defer to the judge's ruling.

B2 As a manager, I often defer to my team members' expertise in their respective areas.

C1 The CEO deferred to the board of directors for final approval on the merger.

C2 The president deferred to the advice of her top advisors before making a major decision.

Examples of defer to in a Sentence

formal In matters of legal interpretation, judges often defer to precedent.

informal When it comes to choosing a restaurant, I usually defer to my friend's recommendation.

slang I always defer to my mom when it comes to fashion advice.

figurative The team decided to defer to the expert's opinion on the best strategy to use.

Grammatical Forms of defer to

past tense

deferred

plural

defer to

comparative

more defer to

superlative

most defer to

present tense

defers to

future tense

will defer to

perfect tense

has deferred to

continuous tense

is deferring to

singular

defers to

positive degree

defer to

infinitive

to defer to

gerund

deferring to

participle

deferred to

Origin and Evolution of defer to

First Known Use: 1601 year
Language of Origin: Latin
Story behind the word: The phrase 'defer to' originated from the Latin word 'deferre', which means 'to carry down or away'.
Evolution of the word: Originally used in a more literal sense of carrying something down or away, the phrase 'defer to' evolved to mean yielding to someone else's opinion or decision.