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# postpone

verb (postpone, postpones, postponed, postponing)

«postpone» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To move an event to a later time instead of doing it now: The match was postponed because of rain. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/postpone/#m1)
2. (formal) To delay doing something. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/postpone/#m2)

### In the lessons

In school and everyday life games, tests, trips and parties are postponed because of weather, illness or problems; it is not cancelled — it will still happen later. In maths a problem may say «the race was postponed by 3 days» — add the days to the old day. In formal notices: «The meeting has been postponed until further notice». Phrases: «postpone until», «postponed due to rain», «postpone a decision».

### Examples

- The football match was postponed because of the storm. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/postpone/#x1)
- Our test has been postponed until next week. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/postpone/#x2)
- Can we postpone the party? Half the class is sick. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/postpone/#x3)
- The trip was postponed by 2 days. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/postpone/#x4)
- They postponed the launch because of high winds. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/postpone/#x5)
- Don't postpone your homework until the last minute. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/postpone/#x6)
- The concert is postponed, not cancelled. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/postpone/#x7)
- The sports day was postponed twice. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/postpone/#x8)
- His master was never one for postponing a duty. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/postpone/#x9)

### Note

Regular verb: postponed. Postpone = later; cancel = never; bring forward = earlier. Noun: postponement. Informal: put off. In maths: new time = old time + delay.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «postpone» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/postpone/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«postpone» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/postpone.html) on Mova free.