Delaying something until a later time; putting off an event, decision, or action.
From Latin 'postponere,' combining 'post' (after) and 'ponere' (to place or put). So the word literally means 'to put after' something else. The term entered English from Latin in the 16th century with its original meaning intact.
The Latin root 'ponere' (to put) appears in English words like 'posit,' 'position,' 'component,' and 'juxtapose,' connecting across centuries to show that Romans thought of time and space as places where you could 'put' things, metaphorically moving our mental events around like physical objects.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.