postponement
gb/poʊstpˈoʊnmənt/ us/poʊstpˈoʊnmənt/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
action
1
Delaying something until later
when something planned is moved to a later time or date
Usage pattern:
postponement of [something]; postponement until [time/date]
Common mistake:
Do not confuse postponement with cancellation. A postponed event is expected to happen later; a cancelled event will not happen.
Synonyms
delay (more general and more common; can be intentional or unintentional)
|
deferral (more formal; often used for official decisions or payments)
|
rescheduling (emphasizes setting a new time or date)
Antonyms
cancellation (the event is called off completely, not moved to a later time)
|
advancement (moving something to an earlier time rather than a later one)
Collocations
announce a postponement
|force a postponement
|request a postponement
|agree to a postponement
|postponement of the meeting
|postponement of the election
|postponement until next week
|postponement due to weather
|indefinite postponement
|last-minute postponement
Themes
scheduling
|events
|business
|education
|travel
Examples
- Heavy snow forced the postponement of the football match.
- The committee announced the postponement of the vote until Friday.
- Several parents objected to the postponement of the school trip.
Learner examples
- The postponement of the meeting gave us more time to prepare.
- Rain caused the postponement of the game.
Noun
C1
quantity
2
A period of delay
the amount of time that something is delayed
Usage pattern:
a [length] postponement
Common mistake:
Use a phrase like a two-week postponement for the length of the delay; use postponement of for the thing that is delayed.
Synonyms
delay (simpler and much more common for the length of time waited)
|
hold-up (informal; often suggests an unwanted delay)
Antonyms
promptness (happening without delay)
|
immediacy (happening right away, with no waiting period)
Collocations
brief postponement
|short postponement
|long postponement
|lengthy postponement
|temporary postponement
|six-month postponement
|two-week postponement
|indefinite postponement
Themes
time
|scheduling
|events
Examples
- After a three-month postponement, the trial finally began.
- The company accepted a brief postponement while the contract details were checked.
- A long postponement could increase the cost of the project.
Learner examples
- There was a two-week postponement.
- The short postponement helped the team.
Grammar
Dictionary form
postponement
IPA
GB/poʊstpˈoʊnmənt/
US/poʊstpˈoʊnmənt/
Syllables & stress
post - pone - ment (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (pone)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: postponement
- Plural: postponement, postponements
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.