deferment

/dɪˈfɜːmənt/

//dɪˈfɜːmənt// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"deferment" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“deferment” is uncommon English (frequency #63,552 among 3,470 “D” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#63,552
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An act or instance of deferring or putting off.

Corpus desk

Index EN-deferment · deferment · English

deferment · rank #63,552 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #63,552
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH demerit

Nearest frequency peer: demerit (+2 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “deferment”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “deferment” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for deferment
PropertyValue
Headworddeferment
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪˈfɜːmənt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#63,552
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “deferment” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).defermentfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “demerit” (#63,554), “denatured” (#63,555), “devoutly” (#63,557). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “deferment” is #63,552. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

deferment is uncommon English at frequency #63,552 among 3,470 “D” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /dɪˈfɜːmənt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

deferment has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From defer + -ment. The correct English form is deferment, spelled D-E-F-E-R-M-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    An act or instance of deferring or putting off.
  2. 2
    Officially sanctioned postponement of compulsory military service.

Etymology

From defer + -ment.

Synonyms

deferraldelayadjournmentdefermentdemurralprocrastinationprolongationprotraction

Antonyms

precrastination

This word in other languages

Aufschub(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "deferment"?
"deferment" is spelled D-E-F-E-R-M-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈfɜːmənt/.
What does "deferment" mean?
As a noun, "deferment" means: An act or instance of deferring or putting off.
How do you pronounce "deferment"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "deferment" is /dɪˈfɜːmənt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "deferment"?
From defer + -ment. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "deferment", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

denatured#63,555crossrail#63,534cormorant#63,528confiding#63,523

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list