confer
kun-FUR
/kənˈfɜːr/
To grant or bestow an honor, degree, or title; or to consult and discuss together.
In academic ceremonies, it strictly refers to formally bestowing degrees or honors upon candidates.
The story behind the word. From Latin conferre, meaning 'to bring together'. When scholars gathered to exchange ideas, they conferred (consulted); when institution leaders brought authority together to award titles, they conferred degrees.
Word relationships
- bestow: Bestow suggests giving a gift or honor generously, while confer emphasizes official, institutional authority.
- revoke: Revoke means to take away an official title, whereas confer means to formally bestow it.
Commonly confused with
- defer: Defer means to postpone or submit to another's judgment, while confer means to grant or consult.
Word family
- conference (noun): A meeting for consultation or discussion.
- conferment (noun): The formal act of bestowing a degree or honor.
Collocations
- confer a degree
- confer an honor
- confer with colleagues
Example sentences
- "By the authority vested in me, I confer upon you the degree of Bachelor of Arts." Ceremonial declaration
- "The faculty board met to confer honorary doctorates upon distinguished researchers." Board decision
Memory hook
Confer brings honor to the transfer! Bring together to grant.
When not to use
Do not use 'confer' to mean simply handing an everyday object to someone.
Fun facts
- The root ferre ('to carry') also gave us 'transfer', 'refer', and 'ferry'.
Related words
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