Confer

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /kÉ™nˈfɜː/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)

Origin

From Middle French conférer, from Latin conferō.

Full definition of confer

Verb

1. (obsolete, intransitive) To compare. 16th–18th c.
• 1557 (book title):The Newe Testament ... Conferred diligently with the Greke, and best approued translations.
• 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, II.3.1.i:Confer thine estate with others .... Be content and rest satisfied, for thou art well in respect to others ....
• BoyleIf we confer these observations with others of the like nature, we may find cause to rectify the general opinion.
2. (intransitive) To talk together, to consult, discuss; to deliberate. from 16th c.
• 1974, "A Traveler's Perils", Time, 25 Mar 1974:Local buttons popped when Henry Kissinger visited Little Rock last month to confer with Fulbright on the Middle East oil talks.
3. (obsolete, transitive) To bring together; to collect, gather. 16th–17th c.
4. (transitive) To grant as a possession; to bestow. from 16th c.
• Miltonthe public marks of honour and reward conferred upon me
• 2010, Andrew Rawnsley, The Observer, 7 Feb 2010:The special immunities that are conferred on MPs were framed with the essential purpose of allowing them to speak freely in parliament.
5. (obsolete, intransitive) To contribute; to conduce. 16th–18th c.
• GlanvillThe closeness and compactness of the parts resting together doth much confer to the strength of the union.

Related terms

• conference