Postpone
/poʊstˈpoʊn/
Definitions
To arrange for something to take place at a time later than that first scheduled.
/poʊstˈpoʊn/
To delay an event or action to a later time.
The concert was postponed due to heavy rain.
💡 Simply: Think of it like this: you have a playdate planned, but your friend is sick. You decide to postpone, or reschedule, it for another day so they can feel better.
👶 For kids: To decide to do something later.
More Examples
We had to postpone our trip until next month.
The company decided to postpone the product launch.
How It's Used
"The meeting was postponed due to the CEO's illness."
"The exam was postponed until next week."
"We had to postpone our vacation because of a family emergency."
Idioms & expressions
postpone indefinitely
To delay something for an unspecified amount of time.
"The project was postponed indefinitely due to lack of funding."
From Latin *postponere* ('to put after'), from *post* ('after') + *ponere* ('to place').
The word 'postpone' has been used since the late 16th century, reflecting the concept of delaying or putting off a scheduled event or action.
Memory tip
Imagine a postal worker holding a package and deciding to 'post' it 'pone' (put it on) the next delivery schedule.
Word Origin
"to put after, to place after"