Postpone vs. Delay — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on September 21, 2023
Postpone means to reschedule something to occur at a later time. Delay refers to a temporary stoppage or hindrance that makes something take longer than planned.
Difference Between Postpone and Delay
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Key Differences
The term Postpone usually implies a conscious decision to put something off to a later date or time, often for strategic or logistic reasons. In contrast, Delay typically denotes an unplanned stoppage or hindrance that causes a setback.
Postpone is often used in formal settings like meetings or events to indicate a planned rescheduling. Delay is more frequently used in everyday circumstances and can be due to various factors, including traffic, bad weather, or mechanical failures.
When you Postpone, you usually have control over the situation and intentionally decide to move an event to a different date. With a Delay, you often have little to no control over the reasons causing the hold-up.
In terms of language usage, Postpone is commonly employed as a transitive verb, meaning it requires a direct object. For example, "We had to postpone the meeting." On the other hand, Delay can function as both a transitive and intransitive verb; "The flight was delayed" or "Something delayed him."
Postpone generally implies that the event will eventually happen, just at a later time. Delay, however, doesn't necessarily mean that the event will occur; it might even be canceled if the delay is long enough.
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Comparison Chart
Implication
Planned rescheduling
Unplanned stoppage
Control
Usually intentional
Often beyond control
Grammatical Usage
Mainly transitive verb
Transitive and intransitive verb
Formality
More formal
More casual
Eventual Occurrence
Likely to occur
May or may not occur
Compare with Definitions
Postpone
To reschedule an event for a later date.
We had to postpone the concert.
Delay
To stop or detain.
Police delayed the suspect.
Postpone
To delay action until a future time.
Can we postpone the decision?
Delay
Make (someone or something) late or slow
The train was delayed
Postpone
To hold off on doing something.
She postponed applying to college.
Delay
A period of time by which something is late or postponed
A two-hour delay
Long delays in obtaining passports
Postpone
To defer proceedings.
The court case was postponed.
Delay
To postpone until a later time; defer.
Postpone
To put off an obligation.
I postponed my trip.
Delay
To cause to be later or slower than expected or desired
Heavy traffic delayed us.
Postpone
Cause or arrange for (something) to take place at a time later than that first scheduled
The visit had to be postponed for some time
He postponed implementing the scheme until industry and business were consulted
Delay
To act or move slowly; put off an action or a decision.
Postpone
To cause or arrange for (an event) to take place at a time later than the time at which it was originally supposed to happen.
Delay
The act of delaying; postponement
Responded without delay.
Postpone
To delay or put off an event, appointment, etc.
Delay
The condition of being delayed; detainment.
Postpone
(obsolete) To place after in order; to deem less important.
Delay
The period of time during which one is delayed.
Postpone
To defer to a future or later time; to put off; also, to cause to be deferred or put off; to delay; to adjourn; as, to postpone the consideration of a bill to the following day, or indefinitely.
His praise postponed, and never to be paid.
Delay
The interval of time between two events.
Postpone
To place after, behind, or below something, in respect to precedence, preference, value, or importance.
All other considerations should give way and be postponed to this.
Delay
A period of time before an event occurs; the act of delaying; procrastination; lingering inactivity.
The delay before the echo of a sound
Postpone
Hold back to a later time;
Let's postpone the exam
Delay
(music) An audio effects unit that introduces a controlled delay.
Delay
Synonym of promise
Delay
(chess) An amount of time provided on each move before one's clock starts to tick; a less common time control than increment.
Delay
(ambitransitive) To put off until a later time; to defer.
Delay
To retard; to stop, detain, or hinder, for a time.
The mail is delayed by a heavy fall of snow.
Delay
To allay; to temper.
Delay
(obsolete) To dilute, temper.
Delay
(obsolete) To assuage, quench, allay.
Delay
A putting off or deferring; procrastination; lingering inactivity; stop; detention; hindrance.
Without any delay, on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat.
The government ought to be settled without the delay of a day.
Delay
To put off; to defer; to procrastinate; to prolong the time of or before.
My lord delayeth his coming.
Delay
To retard; to stop, detain, or hinder, for a time; to retard the motion, or time of arrival, of; as, the mail is delayed by a heavy fall of snow.
Thyrsis! whose artful strains have oft delayedThe huddling brook to hear his madrigal.
Delay
To allay; to temper.
The watery showers delay the raging wind.
Delay
To move slowly; to stop for a time; to linger; to tarry.
There seem to be certain bounds to the quickness and slowness of the succession of those ideas, . . . beyond which they can neither delay nor hasten.
Delay
Time during which some action is awaited;
Instant replay caused too long a delay
He ordered a hold in the action
Delay
The act of delaying; inactivity resulting in something being put off until a later time
Delay
Cause to be slowed down or delayed;
Traffic was delayed by the bad weather
She delayed the work that she didn't want to perform
Delay
Act later than planned, scheduled, or required;
Don't delay your application to graduate school or else it won't be considered
Delay
Stop or halt;
Please stay the bloodshed!
Delay
Slow the growth or development of;
The brain damage will retard the child's language development
Delay
To cause to be late or slow.
Traffic delayed us.
Delay
To act or move slowly.
Don't delay in calling the doctor.
Delay
To slow progress.
Weather conditions delayed the construction project.
Delay
To put off until later.
He delayed his departure.
Common Curiosities
What does Postpone mean?
Postpone means to reschedule something to happen at a later time.
What does Delay mean?
Delay means a temporary stoppage that makes something take longer than planned.
Is Postponing usually planned?
Yes, postponing is often a planned action.
Does a Delay guarantee the event will happen?
No, a delay doesn't necessarily mean the event will happen.
Can Delay be used without an object?
Yes, "delay" can be used as both a transitive and intransitive verb.
Can you give an example of Delay?
"The flight was delayed due to bad weather."
Is a Delay always planned?
No, delays are usually unplanned and often beyond one's control.
Can you use Postpone without an object?
No, "postpone" is mainly used as a transitive verb and requires a direct object.
Is Postpone more formal than Delay?
Generally, "postpone" is considered more formal than "delay."
Does Postpone mean the event will eventually happen?
Typically, yes. Postponing generally implies that the event will occur at a later date.
Can you give an example of Postpone?
"We had to postpone the meeting due to unforeseen circumstances."
What's the opposite of Postpone?
The opposite of "postpone" could be "advance" or "pre-pone."
What's the opposite of Delay?
The opposite of "delay" could be "expedite" or "hasten."
Is it correct to say, "the train was delayed due to repairs"?
Yes, that is a correct usage of "delay."
Is it correct to say, "the game was postponed due to rain"?
Yes, that is a correct usage of "postpone."
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
