defer until later

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "defer until later" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when suggesting to postpone a decision or action to a future time. Example: "We should defer until later the discussion about the budget until we have more information."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

Specifics were deferred until later.

The New York Times

For UK dramas due to start shooting in the spring it is a bit of a tense time, with a lot deferring until later in the year.

The Guardian

And he is now deferring until later in his term plans to eliminate a business tax surcharge, cut income taxes across the board, identify a permanent financing source for open-space preservation and restore higher-education financing to 2002 levels.

The New York Times

In converting to a Roth IRA, you're paying taxes today rather than deferring until later, so you need to factor in the obvious opportunity cost of using funds to pay taxes today rather than to invest today.

Forbes

Presentation of the mutant data is deferred until later in the paper.

eLife

In those girls where the uterus is absent, vaginal examination can be deferred until later in adolescence and does not usually require an anaesthetic.

Best Practice and Research in Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism

Our task, thus, allowed us to probe value encoding in the prefrontal cortex as a function of whether a stimulus was preferred (i.e., included or excluded) and whether commitment was made now or deferred until later.

eLife

Specifically memory writes such as saving the final calculation for an ODE equation might be deferred until later so that writes can be performed which best utilizes the memory bandwidth.

BMC Systems Biology

A s for Jerusalem, would it not be better to resolve all other pending questions first and defer until a later time decisions about the fate of the holiest of cities?

The New York Times

Furthermore, joint consideration of the behavioural data and the dACC activity allowed us to pinpoint two pressures that shaped decisions in the task: a bias to defer until a later date, and a bias to weight unfavourable (excluded) options more heavily.

eLife

Under the proposed regulations, such litigation would generally be deferred until after the election.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "defer until later", ensure the context clearly indicates when 'later' will be. If the timing is vague, consider specifying a more precise timeframe to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid frequently using "defer until later" as a means of procrastination. Ensure there's a valid reason, such as needing more information or resources, before postponing a task.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "defer until later" functions as a phrasal verb, indicating the action of postponing or delaying something to a future time. It's used to communicate that a decision, action, or discussion is being pushed back. According to Ludwig, the phrase is correct and usable in English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

34%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "defer until later" is a grammatically sound way to express the postponement of an action or decision. Ludwig indicates that it's a correct and usable phrase in English. While "defer" may imply a degree of formality, the overall phrase remains applicable in various contexts, including News & Media, Science and Formal & Business communications. To ensure clarity, specify a timeframe for when 'later' will be. Alternatives like "postpone until later" or "delay until later" can be used for similar effect.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

postpone until later

Replaces "defer" with "postpone", indicating a delay to a later time.

delay until later

Uses "delay" instead of "defer", suggesting a similar action of putting something off.

put off until later

Employs the phrasal verb "put off" for a more informal tone while retaining the meaning of delaying.

reschedule for later

Indicates a plan to move something to a later time, often with a specific new time in mind.

hold off on until later

Suggests a temporary suspension of action until a later point.

shelve for the time being

Implies setting aside an issue or plan temporarily, possibly with the intent to revisit it later.

suspend until further notice

Indicates that an action is halted for an undetermined amount of time, often used in formal contexts.

table for future discussion

Used in meetings or formal settings to indicate that a topic will be discussed at a later meeting.

adjourn until a later date

Formally postpones something, typically a meeting or session, to a specific future time.

set aside for future consideration

Indicates that an item is being kept for review at some point in the future.

FAQs

What does "defer until later" mean?

"Defer until later" means to postpone something to a future time. It implies that a decision, action, or discussion is being delayed and will be addressed at a later point.

What are some alternatives to "defer until later"?

You can use alternatives like "postpone until later", "delay until later", or "put off until later" depending on the context.

Is it better to "defer until later" or address something immediately?

Whether to "defer until later" or address something immediately depends on the situation. If you lack sufficient information or resources, deferring may be wise. However, addressing issues promptly can prevent them from escalating.

How can I use "defer until later" in a sentence?

You can use "defer until later" in sentences like: "We should defer the discussion about the budget until we have more information", or "The decision on the new marketing strategy will be deferred until later this month".