Postpone synonym,synonyms of postpone

1. Delay

Similarities

• “Postpone” and “delay” both involve the act of putting something off to a later time. They are used when there is a need or decision to not carry out an action, event, or task at the originally scheduled time. For example, in the context of a project, if there are unforeseen technical difficulties, the team might decide to postpone or delay the project's launch. In both cases, the launch of the project is being rescheduled to a later time due to the technical problems. This shows that both “postpone” and “delay” convey the idea of a time - shift in the execution of an activity.
• Another similarity is that both words can be used in various settings, such as personal, professional, and public events. In a personal life, a person might postpone or delay going to the gym because they are feeling tired. In a professional environment, a meeting might be postponed or delayed if one of the key participants is unable to attend due to a prior commitment. For public events, a concert might be postponed or delayed because of bad weather conditions. In all these cases, “postpone” and “delay” are used interchangeably to describe the act of rescheduling an activity to a later time.

Differences

• “Delay” often implies a more unplanned or involuntary interruption. It suggests that the postponement is not a deliberate, pre - meditated decision but rather a result of unexpected circumstances or factors beyond one's control. For example, if a flight is delayed, it is usually because of reasons such as bad weather, technical problems with the aircraft, or air traffic congestion. These are unforeseen events that cause the flight to be postponed, and the passengers have no control over these circumstances. The term “delay” here emphasizes the involuntary nature of the postponement and the fact that it is caused by external factors.
• “Postpone,” on the other hand, can imply a more deliberate and planned decision. It suggests that the person or organization making the decision has carefully considered the options and has chosen to reschedule the activity to a later time for specific reasons. For example, a company might postpone the release of a new product because they want to conduct more market research or make some final improvements to the product. In this case, the company has made a deliberate decision to postpone the product release based on their strategic considerations. The term “postpone” here emphasizes the planned and intentional nature of the decision to reschedule the activity.

2. Defer

Similarities

• “Postpone,” “delay,” and “defer” all share the fundamental concept of shifting an action, event, or task to a later point in time. They are all used to describe situations where the original schedule or plan for carrying out something is changed, and the activity is instead scheduled to occur at a subsequent time. For example, in a legal proceeding, if there are issues with obtaining evidence, the court might decide to postpone, delay, or defer the trial. In this case, all three terms can be used to describe the court's decision to reschedule the trial to a later date due to the problems with obtaining evidence. This shows that “postpone,” “delay,” and “defer” are all related to the idea of a time - adjustment in the execution of an activity.
• Additionally, all three words can be applied in a wide range of contexts, including personal, professional, academic, and social settings. In a personal context, a person might postpone, delay, or defer doing their household chores because they are busy with other tasks or because they simply don't feel like doing them at the moment. In a professional environment, a project manager might postpone, delay, or defer the start of a new project if there are insufficient resources, if the project requirements are not yet finalized, or if there are other competing priorities. In an academic setting, a student might postpone, delay, or defer studying for an exam because they are procrastinating, because they have other assignments due at the same time, or because they are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of material to study. In a social context, a party might be postponed, delay, or defer if one of the hosts is ill, if there are problems with the venue, or if the majority of the guests are unable to attend on the originally scheduled date. In all these cases, “postpone,” “delay,” and “defer” can be used interchangeably to describe the act of rescheduling an activity to a later time due to various reasons.

Differences

• “Defer” often has a connotation of putting off an action or decision as a sign of respect, courtesy, or deference to someone else's authority, opinion, or preference. It suggests that the person making the decision to defer is choosing to wait or postpone the action until they have received further guidance, approval, or input from someone who is in a position of authority or who has more knowledge or expertise in the matter. For example, in a business meeting, a team member might defer to the team leader's decision about which project to pursue next. This means that the team member is showing respect for the team leader's authority and is willing to wait for the team leader's decision before taking any further action. The term “defer” here emphasizes the element of respect and deference to the team leader's authority.
• “Delay,” as previously discussed, often implies a more unplanned or involuntary interruption. It suggests that the postponement is not a deliberate, pre - meditated decision but rather a result of unexpected circumstances or factors beyond one's control. For example, if a train is delayed due to a mechanical breakdown, this is an unforeseen event that causes the train to be postponed, and the passengers have no control over this situation. The term “delay” here emphasizes the involuntary nature of the postponement and the fact that it is caused by external factors.
• “Postpone,” as we know, can imply a more deliberate and planned decision. It suggests that the person or organization making the decision has carefully considered the options and has chosen to reschedule the activity to a later time for specific reasons. For example, a school might postpone a sports day because of bad weather conditions. In this case, the school has made a deliberate decision to postpone the sports day based on the consideration of the safety of the students and the quality of the sports events. The term “postpone” here emphasizes the planned and intentional nature of the decision to reschedule the activity.