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Defer vs Escalate - What's the difference?

defer | escalate |

As verbs the difference between defer and escalate

is that defer is to delay or postpone; especially to postpone induction into military service or defer can be (legal) to submit to the opinion or desire of another in respect to their judgment or authority while escalate is to increase (something) in extent or intensity; to intensify or step up.

defer

English

Etymology 1

* From (etyl) differer, from (etyl) .

Verb

(deferr)
  • To delay or postpone; especially to postpone induction into military service.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Defer the spoil of the city until night.
  • * {{quote-book
  • , year=1818 , author=Mary Shelley , title=Frankenstein , chapter=3 citation , passage=My departure for Ingolstadt, which had been deferred by these events, was now again determined upon.}}
  • to delay, to wait
  • * Milton
  • God will not long defer / To vindicate the glory of his name.
  • (American football) to choose to kick off after winning the opening coin toss.
  • Derived terms
    * deferral

    Etymology 2

    * From (etyl)

    Verb

    (deferr)
  • (legal) To submit to the opinion or desire of another in respect to their judgment or authority.
  • * Francis Bacon
  • Hereupon the commissioners deferred the matter to the Earl of Northumberland.
  • * 1899 ,
  • "Well, I must defer to your judgment. You are captain," he said with marked civility.
  • to render, to offer
  • * Brevint
  • worship deferred to the Virgin
    Derived terms
    * deference

    Anagrams

    * * ----

    escalate

    English

    Verb

    (transitive'' and ''intransitive )
  • to increase (something) in extent or intensity; to intensify or step up
  • Violence escalated during the election.
    The shooting escalated the existing hostility.
  • in technical support, to transfer a telephone caller to the next higher level of authority
  • The tech 1 escalated the caller to a tech 2.

    Derived terms

    * deescalate