Postpone

Definition

Postpone means to delay an event or action to a later time.

Parts of Speech

• Verb: postpone (e.g., "I had to postpone the meeting until next week.")

Pronunciation

American English

• IPA Pronunciation: /poʊstˈpoʊn/
• Respelling: pohst-POHN (with "pohst" as in "post," and "POHN" as in "phone")

British English

• IPA Pronunciation: /pəʊstˈpəʊn/
• Respelling: pohst-POHN (similar to American English, with "pohst" as in "post," and "POHN" as in "phone")

In both dialects, "postpone" is pronounced with the primary stress on the second syllable, "POHN." The pronunciation remains consistent across both American and British English, clearly articulating the word with emphasis on the "POHN" part.

Etymology

The word "postpone" comes from the Latin "postponere", which is a combination of "post-", meaning "after", and "ponere", meaning "to place". Thus, it directly translates to "to place after".

Derivatives

• Postponable
• Postponement
• Postponer
• Unpostponed
• Repostpone

Synonyms

• Delay
• Defer
• Reschedule

Antonyms

• Advance
• Prepone (used in some regions, e.g., India, but not standard in American or British English)
• Hasten

Usage

"Postpone" is commonly used to describe the act of rescheduling or delaying an event, action, or decision to a later time. It can be applied in various contexts, ranging from appointments and meetings to decisions and implementations.

Related Terms

• Adjourn
• Continue
• Procrastinate
• Prolong
• Hold over

Detailed Definition

Verb

• To cause or arrange for something to take place at a later time than that originally planned.
• Example: "The conference was postponed due to unforeseen circumstances."

• To put off to a later time or date.
• Example: "They decided to postpone their holiday until next year."