needs to be deferred

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "needs to be deferred" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when indicating that something should be postponed or delayed to a later time. Example: "The decision on the project needs to be deferred until we have more information."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

"Our confidence needs to be deferred until questions raised by the review are resolved," he said.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

The argument that Jerusalem is more important to Jews than Muslims or vice versa will never be resolved in this world and will need to be deferred to God. 7) The Muslim world should recognise Israel, normalise relations and trade with it.

The Guardian - Opinion

Borg says that NSF took into account the impact on students and early-career investigators in deciding which projects to support this year and which would need to be deferred.

Science Magazine

Although these feelings resolved after the reasons why consent needed to be deferred were explained and that the CATCH interventions were already used in clinical care.

BMJ Open

If one accepts that informed consent is often not truly possible in the paediatric critical care context, obtaining approval in principle (assent) would allow informed consent, when needed, to be deferred and the process continued until parents are available and/or competence is achieved [ 6].

BMC Medical Ethics

No complicated planning was needed to produce a low tax-charge: the government allows for tax to be deferred in this case if funds are reinvested.

The Guardian

Therefore, while we agree with the need for future studies, we would like to ask the referees to allow this new work to be deferred to future studies.

eLife

The judgment is expected to be deferred.

Independent

Those investments are going to be deferred".

The New York Times

I understood this to be deferred salary.

The Guardian

She had medical care that had to be deferred".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "needs to be deferred", ensure the context clearly indicates who or what is responsible for making the deferral, and what the expected timeframe for the delay is. This helps avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "needs to be deferred" in casual conversation. Simpler alternatives like "should be delayed" or "can wait" are more appropriate for informal settings.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "needs to be deferred" functions as a verb phrase in the passive voice, indicating that an action or decision requires postponement. Ludwig confirms its validity in diverse contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

30%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

7%

Wiki

7%

Reference

6%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "needs to be deferred" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression to indicate that something should be postponed or delayed. Ludwig confirms this with examples from a wide variety of sources, including news, science, and business contexts. While generally neutral to formal in tone, it's best to avoid it in very casual settings. Be clear about who is responsible for the deferral and the expected timeframe to avoid ambiguity. Consider alternatives such as "should be postponed" or "must be delayed" based on the specific context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

should be postponed

Indicates a recommendation or advisability of delaying something; less forceful than "needs to be deferred".

must be delayed

Emphasizes the necessity of delaying something; conveys a stronger sense of obligation.

ought to be delayed

Expresses a moral obligation or expectation that something should be delayed; more formal.

has to be rescheduled

Specifically refers to changing the scheduled time of an event or activity.

is to be put off

A more colloquial way of saying something should be delayed.

requires postponement

Highlights the requirement for delaying something; more formal and less common.

calls for deferral

Suggests that the situation necessitates a delay; more formal and less common.

warrants a delay

Indicates that there are valid reasons to postpone something.

is pending rescheduling

Highlights rescheduling of an event and emphasizes that this is in progress

necessitates delaying

Focuses on the circumstances requiring the delaying of something.

FAQs

How can I use "needs to be deferred" in a sentence?

You can use "needs to be deferred" to indicate that a decision, action, or event should be postponed until a later time. For example: "The final decision on the budget needs to be deferred until the next fiscal year."

What are some alternatives to "needs to be deferred"?

Alternatives include "should be postponed", "must be delayed", or "ought to be delayed" depending on the level of formality and the reason for the delay.

Is "needs to be deferred" formal or informal?

"Needs to be deferred" is generally considered to be neutral to formal. In very informal contexts, simpler phrasing like "can wait" might be more appropriate.

When is it appropriate to use "needs to be deferred" over other options?

Use "needs to be deferred" when you want to clearly state that delaying something is a requirement rather than simply a suggestion. It's suitable in professional, academic, and news-related contexts.