Refer vs. Defer — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 26, 2023
"Refer" means to mention or direct someone to a source, while "Defer" means to postpone or yield to another's judgment. They differ in action and intent.
Difference Between Refer and Defer
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Key Differences
Refer and Defer are both verbs in the English language, but they convey different actions and intentions. "Refer" generally pertains to the act of mentioning, directing to a source, or consulting a reference.
On the contrary, Defer has the connotation of postponing, delaying, or putting off something to a later time. Additionally, "defer" can mean yielding or submitting to another's judgment, decision, or preference.
In professional settings, when one refers a person or a case to another, it means they are directing it to someone more specialized or appropriate to handle the matter. For instance, a general physician might refer a patient to a specialist. However, when one defers a decision or task, it means they're either postponing it or allowing someone else to make the decision.
Grammatically, both Refer and Defer are regular verbs, but their respective derivatives and related terms vary. For instance, from "refer," we get "reference," "referral," and "referrer," while from "defer," we get "deferment" and "deference."
In essence, while both words are verbs, Refer involves directing attention or authority to another source, and Defer is about postponing action or yielding authority to another.
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Comparison Chart
Basic Definition
To mention or direct to a source.
To postpone or yield to another's judgment.
Related Terms
Reference, Referral, Referrer.
Deferment, Deference.
Usage Context
Directing to a specialist, consulting a source.
Postponing a task, yielding a decision.
Type of Action
Direction, Consultation.
Postponement, Yielding.
Grammatical Category
Regular Verb.
Regular Verb.
Compare with Definitions
Refer
To direct someone or something to a different place or person for information or action.
I'll refer you to the department that handles that issue.
Defer
To put off to a later time; postpone.
We decided to defer the project until next month.
Refer
To mention or allude to.
She referred to the incident in her speech.
Defer
To hold back; restrain from taking action.
She deferred making a comment until the end.
Refer
To relate or pertain to; concern.
The rules refer to all employees.
Defer
To delay or put off (an action, event, or decision).
The council chose to defer the vote.
Refer
To hand over for consideration, action, or decision.
The matter was referred to a committee.
Defer
To submit or comply out of respect.
He deferred to his manager's decision.
Refer
To direct to a source for help or information
Referred her to a heart specialist.
Referred me to his last employer for a recommendation.
Defer
To yield respectfully in judgment or opinion.
I defer to your expertise in this matter.
Refer
To submit (a matter in dispute) to an authority for arbitration, decision, or examination.
Defer
Put off (an action or event) to a later time; postpone
They deferred the decision until February
Refer
To direct the attention of
I refer you to the training manual.
Defer
Submit to or acknowledge the merit of
He deferred to Tim's superior knowledge
Refer
To assign or attribute to; regard as originated by.
Defer
To put off; postpone.
Refer
To assign to or regard as belonging within a particular kind or class
Referred the newly discovered partita to the 1600s.
Defer
To postpone the induction of (one eligible for the military draft).
Refer
To relate or pertain; concern
Questions referring to yesterday's lecture.
Defer
To submit to the wish or decision of another, as in recognition of authority.
Refer
To serve as a descriptor or have as a denotation
The word chair refers to a piece of furniture.
Defer
To commit or entrust to another
The principal deferred the decision to the school board.
Refer
To speak or write about something briefly or incidentally; make reference
Referred during our conversation to several books he was reading.
Defer
(transitive) To delay or postpone
Refer
To turn one's attention, as in seeking information
Refer to a dictionary.
Defer
To postpone induction into military service.
Refer
(transitive) To direct the attention of (someone toward something)
The shop assistant referred me to the help desk on ground floor.
Defer
(American football) After winning the opening coin toss, to postpone until the start of the second half a team's choice of whether to kick off or receive (and to allow the opposing team to make this choice at the start of the first half).
Refer
(transitive) To submit to (another person or group) for consideration; to send or direct elsewhere.
He referred the matter to the principal.
To refer a patient to a psychiatrist
Defer
(intransitive) To delay, to wait.
Refer
To place in or under by a mental or rational process; to assign to, as a class, a cause, source, a motive, reason, or ground of explanation.
He referred the phenomena to electrical disturbances.
Defer
(ambitransitive) To submit to the opinion or desire of others in respect to their judgment or authority.
Refer
(intransitive) To mention (something); to direct attention (to something)
To explain the problem, the teacher referred to an example in another textbook.
Defer
To render, to offer.
Refer
To make reference to; to be about; to relate to; to regard; to allude to.
The recipe referred to several unusual ingredients.
Defer
To put off; to postpone to a future time; to delay the execution of; to delay; to withhold.
Defer the spoil of the city until night.
God . . . will not long deferTo vindicate the glory of his name.
Refer
(grammar) To be referential to another element in a sentence.
Defer
To put off; to delay to act; to wait.
Pius was able to defer and temporize at leisure.
Refer
To point to either a specific location in computer memory or to a specific object. to
In C, the pointer obtained by
&a refers to the variable a.Defer
To render or offer.
Worship deferred to the Virgin.
Refer
Required to resit an examination.
Smith's marks in the finals were unsatisfactory and he was referred.
Defer
To lay before; to submit in a respectful manner; to refer; - with to.
Hereupon the commissioners . . . deferred the matter to the Earl of Northumberland.
Refer
(journalism) A blurb on the front page of a newspaper issue or section that refers the reader to the full story inside the issue or section by listing its slug or headline and its page number.
Defer
To yield deference to the wishes of another; to submit to the opinion of another, or to authority; - with to.
The house, deferring to legal right, acquiesced.
Refer
To carry or send back.
Defer
Hold back to a later time;
Let's postpone the exam
Refer
Hence: To send or direct away; to send or direct elsewhere, as for treatment, aid, information, decision, etc.; to make over, or pass over, to another; as, to refer a student to an author; to refer a beggar to an officer; to refer a bill to a committee; a court refers a matter of fact to a commissioner for investigation, or refers a question of law to a superior tribunal.
Defer
Submit or yield to another's wish or opinion;
The government bowed to the military pressure
Refer
To place in or under by a mental or rational process; to assign to, as a class, a cause, source, a motive, reason, or ground of explanation; as, he referred the phenomena to electrical disturbances.
I'll refer me to all things sense.
Refer
To have recourse; to apply; to appeal; to betake one's self; as, to refer to a dictionary.
In suits . . . it is to refer to some friend of trust.
Refer
To have relation or reference; to relate; to point; as, the figure refers to a footnote.
Of those places that refer to the shutting and opening the abyss, I take notice of that in Job.
Refer
To carry the mind or thought; to direct attention; as, the preacher referred to the late election.
Refer
To direct inquiry for information or a guarantee of any kind, as in respect to one's integrity, capacity, pecuniary ability, and the like; as, I referred to his employer for the truth of his story.
Now to the universal whole advert:The earth regard as of that whole a part.
Refer
Make reference to;
His name was mentioned in connection with the invention
Refer
Have to do with or be relevant to;
There were lots of questions referring to her talk
My remark pertained to your earlier comments
Refer
Think of, regard, or classify under a subsuming principle or with a general group or in relation to another;
This plant can be referred to a known species
Refer
Send or direct for treatment, information, or a decision;
Refer a patient to a specialist
Refer a bill to a committee
Refer
Seek information from;
You should consult the dictionary
Refer to your notes
Refer
Have as a meaning;
`multi-' denotes `many'
Refer
To look up information in a source.
If you're unsure, refer to the manual.
Common Curiosities
Can "refer" mean to mention something?
Yes, "refer" can mean to mention or allude to something.
Are "refer" and "defer" synonyms?
No, "refer" means to direct to a source, while "defer" means to postpone or yield to another.
What does it mean to "defer a payment"?
It means to postpone the payment to a later time.
Can "defer" mean to respect someone's judgment?
Yes, "defer" can mean to yield or submit to another's judgment or preference.
Is "reference" derived from "refer"?
Yes, "reference" is a noun form related to the verb "refer."
What is the action of "referring" someone to a specialist?
It means directing or sending someone to see a specialist.
Is "deference" related to "defer"?
Yes, "deference" is a noun that denotes respect or courteous yielding to another's opinions or wishes.
Can "defer" be used in formal contexts?
Yes, "defer" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts.
How do you use "refer" in the context of a book?
You can say, "refer to page 10 for more information."
Can "defer" mean to delay?
Yes, "defer" can mean to delay or put off an action or event.
How are "refer" and "defer" used in academic settings?
"Refer" might be used to direct to sources or citations, while "defer" could be used to indicate postponing a decision or yielding to another's expertise.
What's the opposite of "defer" in the context of yielding?
The opposite would be to insist or assert one's opinion.
Is "referring" the act of mentioning or directing?
Yes, "referring" encompasses both mentioning and directing to a source.
How do "referrer" and "referral" relate to "refer"?
"Referrer" is someone who refers, and "referral" is the act or an instance of referring.
What is "deferment"?
"Deferment" is the act of deferring or postponing, especially in contexts like delaying a debt or military draft.
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Written 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.
