name
Meaning 1
A surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
confer
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Received-Pronunciation: /kənˈfɜː/
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UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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Canada, General-American: /kənˈfɜɹ/
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Canada, General-American: [khə̥ɱˈfɝ]
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North Carolina Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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Australian: /kənˈfɜː/
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New-Zealand: /kənˈføː/
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Scotland: /kənˈfɛr/
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/kənˈfeː/ Liverpool, fair–fur merger
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/kənˈfɛː/ Humberside, Teesside, fair–fur merger
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/kənˈfɜː(ɹ)/ Lancashire, fair–fur merger
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rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)
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CMU ARPABET: K AH0 N F ER1 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
verb
Meaning 2
To grant as a possession; to bestow.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
- The college has conferred an honorary degree upon the visiting Prime Minister.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: afford
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
To talk together, to consult, discuss; to collogue.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
- They were in a huddle, conferring about something.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: palaver
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
To compare.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
To bring together; to collect, gather.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 6
To contribute; to conduce.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 7
have a conference in order to talk something over
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- We conferred about a plan of action
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: confabulate, confab, consult
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: hash out, discuss, talk over
Narrower terms: collogue
verb
Meaning 8
present
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- The university conferred a degree on its most famous former student, who never graduated
- bestow an honor on someone
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: bestow
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: award, present
Narrower terms: miter, bless, graduate
History
Etymology
From Early Modern English conferre, from Middle French conférer, from Old French conferer, from Latin cōnferō. Compare Dutch confereren, German konferieren, Danish konferere, Swedish konferera. Doublet of collate. See also infer, relate and refer, delate and defer, as well as prelate and prefer among others.
Across languages
Translations
85 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: удостоявам (udostojavam) — to bestow
- Bulgarian: удостоя (udostoja) — to bestow
- Bulgarian: давам титла (davam titla) — to bestow
- Bulgarian: дада титла (dada titla) — to bestow
- Catalan: conferir — to bestow
- Chinese Mandarin: 頒授 /颁授 (bānshòu) — to bestow
- Chinese Mandarin: 授予 (shòuyǔ) — to bestow
- Czech: propůjčit — to bestow
- Czech: udělit — to bestow
- Dutch: toekennen — to bestow
- Dutch: schenken — to bestow
- Finnish: myöntää — to bestow
- Finnish: antaa — to bestow
- French: conférer — to bestow
- French: accorder — to bestow
- French: décerner — to bestow
- German: übertragen — to bestow
- German: erteilen — to bestow
- German: verleihen — to bestow
- Hungarian: adományoz — to bestow
- Hungarian: részesít — to bestow
- Hungarian: ráruház — to bestow
- Hungarian: átruház — to bestow
- Hungarian: felruház — to bestow
- Hungarian: ruház — to bestow
- Ido: grantar — to bestow
- Kazakh: марапаттау (marapattau) — to bestow
- Māori: whakawhiwhi — to bestow
- Portuguese: conferir — to bestow
- Russian: придава́ть (pridavátʹ) — to bestow
- Russian: наделя́ть (nadeljátʹ) — to bestow
- Russian: присва́ивать (prisváivatʹ) — to bestow
- Russian: присужда́ть (prisuždátʹ) — to bestow
- Spanish: conferir — to bestow
- Swedish: tilldela — to bestow
- Arabic: تَآمَرَ (taʔāmara) — to discuss, consult
- Bulgarian: беседвам (besedvam) — to discuss, consult
- Bulgarian: обсъждам (obsǎždam) — to discuss, consult
- Bulgarian: обсъдя (obsǎdja) — to discuss, consult
- Bulgarian: съвещавам се (sǎveštavam se) — to discuss, consult
- Chinese Mandarin: 商談 /商谈 (shāngtán) — to discuss, consult
- Chinese Mandarin: 協商 /协商 (xiéshāng) — to discuss, consult
- Czech: jednat — to discuss, consult
- Czech: hovořit — to discuss, consult
- Czech: radit se — to discuss, consult
- Dutch: overleggen — to discuss, consult
- Dutch: consulteren — to discuss, consult
- Finnish: neuvotella — to discuss, consult
- German: beraten — to discuss, consult
- German: konferieren — to discuss, consult
- German: besprechen — to discuss, consult
- German: beratschlagen — to discuss, consult
- Hungarian: tárgyal — to discuss, consult
- Hungarian: tanácskozik — to discuss, consult
- Hungarian: értekezik — to discuss, consult
- Hungarian: eszmecserét folytat — to discuss, consult
- Ido: konferar — to discuss, consult
- Italian: conferire — to discuss, consult
- Māori: matapaki — to discuss, consult
- Māori: wānanga — to discuss, consult
- Māori: kōrerorero — to discuss, consult
- Māori: whakawhitiwhiti kōrero — to discuss, consult
- Polish: wiecować — to discuss, consult
- Portuguese: conferir — to discuss, consult
- Romanian: conferi — to discuss, consult
- Russian: обсужда́ть (obsuždátʹ) — to discuss, consult
- Russian: обгова́ривать (obgovárivatʹ) — to discuss, consult
- Russian: вечева́ть (večevátʹ) — to discuss, consult
- Russian: совеща́ться (soveščátʹsja) — to discuss, consult
- Serbo-Croatian: véćati — to discuss, consult
- Spanish: debatir — to discuss, consult
- Spanish: consultar — to discuss, consult
- Spanish: conferir — to discuss, consult
- Swedish: konferera — to discuss, consult
- Swedish: rådlägga — to discuss, consult
- Unami: achimulsi — to discuss, consult
- Bulgarian: събирам (sǎbiram) — (obsolete) to bring together; to collect, gather
- Bulgarian: събера (sǎbera) — (obsolete) to bring together; to collect, gather
- Dutch: verzamelen — (obsolete) to bring together; to collect, gather
- German: zusammentragen — (obsolete) to bring together; to collect, gather
- German: zusammensammeln — (obsolete) to bring together; to collect, gather
- Bulgarian: придавам (pridavam) — (obsolete) to contribute, conduce
- Bulgarian: придада (pridada) — (obsolete) to contribute, conduce
- Czech: vést impf diskusi — (obsolete) to contribute, conduce
- Dutch: bijdragen — (obsolete) to contribute, conduce