confer

From Early Modern English conferre, from Middle French conférer, from Old French conferer, from Latin cōnferō. Compare Dutch confereren (“to confer”), German konferieren (“to confer”), Danish konferere (“to confer”), Swedish konferera (“to confer”).

• (General American) IPA^(key): /kənˈfʌɹ/,
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /kənˈfɜː/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

confer (third-person singular simple present confers, present participle conferring, simple past and past participle conferred)

1. (transitive) To grant as a possession; to bestow.

   The college has conferred an honorary degree upon the visiting Prime Minister.

   Synonym: afford

   • 1671, John Milton, Samson Agonistes:

     Nor shall I count in hainous to enjoy
     The public marks of honour and reward
     Conferr'd upon me […]

   • 1850, T. S. Arthur, “Deacon Smith and his Violin”, in Sketches of Life and Character‎, Philadelphia: J. W. Bradley, →OCLC, page 76:

     Abel tried to refuse the honor thus unexpectedly conferred upon him, but it was no use. He had been made a deacon, and a deacon he must remain.

   • 2010 February 7, Andrew Rawnsley, The Observer:

     The special immunities that are conferred on MPs were framed with the essential purpose of allowing them to speak freely in parliament.

   • 2014, James Lambert, “Diachronic stability in Indian English lexis”, in World Englishes, page 114:

     The mere existence of a dictionary of a certain variety of English does not automatically confer acceptance of that variety.

2. (intransitive) To talk together, to consult, discuss; to deliberate.

   They were in a huddle, conferring about something.

   • 1974 March 25, “A Traveler's Perils”, in Time:

     Local buttons popped when Henry Kissinger visited Little Rock last month to confer with Fulbright on the Middle East oil talks.

3. (obsolete) To compare.
   • 1557 (book title):

     The Newe Testament ... Conferred diligently with the Greke, and best approued translations.

   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: , 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 3, member 1, subsection i:

     Confer thine estate with others […]. Be content and rest satisfied, for thou art well in respect to others […].

   • 1661, Robert Boyle, The Second Essay, of Unsucceeding Experiments:

     If we confer these observations with others of the like nature, we may find cause to rectify the general opinion.

4. (obsolete, transitive) To bring together; to collect, gather.
5. (obsolete) To contribute; to conduce.
   • 1665, Joseph Glanvill, Scepsis Scientifica:

     The closeness and compactness of the parts resting together doth much confer to the strength of the union.

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈkon.fer/,
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈkon.fer/,

cōnfer

1. second-person singular present active imperative of cōnferō. Often abbreviated cf and used to mean "compare with".