noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
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
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CMU ARPABET:P OW0 S T P OW1 N M AH0 N T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:P OW0 S P OW1 N M AH0 N T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A delay, as a formal delay in a proceeding.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
The lawyer asked for a postponement in the trial so he could spend more time preparing before it began.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
act of putting off to a future time
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Etymology tree English postpone Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-mentom Latin -mentum Old French -mentbor. Middle English -ment English -ment English postponement From postpone + -ment.
Across languages
Translations
30 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Azerbaijani:
təxir
— the state of being adjourned
Bulgarian:
отлагане
(otlagane)
— the state of being adjourned
Catalan:
postergació
— the state of being adjourned
Catalan:
ajornament
— the state of being adjourned
Chinese Mandarin:
推遲 /推迟
(tuīchí)
— the state of being adjourned
Chinese Mandarin:
延緩 /延缓
(yánhuǎn)
— the state of being adjourned
Chinese Mandarin:
延期
(yánqī)
— the state of being adjourned
French:
ajournement
— the state of being adjourned
German:
Aufschub
— the state of being adjourned
German:
Verschiebung
— the state of being adjourned
Ancient Greek:
ἀναβολή
(anabolḗ)
— the state of being adjourned
Hindi:
स्थगन
(sthagan)
— the state of being adjourned
Indonesian:
penundaan
— the state of being adjourned
Japanese:
延期
(enki)
— the state of being adjourned
Macedonian:
одложу́вање
(odložúvanje)
— the state of being adjourned
Māori:
tinakutanga
— the state of being adjourned
Māori:
pāuhunga
— the state of being adjourned
Norwegian Bokmål:
ajournement
— the state of being adjourned
Norwegian Bokmål:
utsettelse
— the state of being adjourned
Norwegian Bokmål:
utsetning
— the state of being adjourned
Norwegian Bokmål:
utsetting
— the state of being adjourned
Romanian:
amânare
— the state of being adjourned
Russian:
отсро́чка
(otsróčka)
— the state of being adjourned
Russian:
откла́дывание
(otkládyvanije)
— the state of being adjourned
Russian:
заде́ржка
(zadéržka)
— the state of being adjourned
Spanish:
aplazamiento
— the state of being adjourned
Spanish:
postposición
— the state of being adjourned
Spanish:
posposición
— the state of being adjourned
Swahili:
uahirishaji
— the state of being adjourned
Ukrainian:
відклада́ння
(vidkladánnja)
— the state of being adjourned
