The confer meaning is to give, grant, or award something to someone, usually an honor, degree, title, or benefit. Confer can also mean to discuss something with another person to exchange ideas or make a decision.
| Question | Answer |
| What does confer mean? | Confer means to give, grant, award, or discuss something with someone. |
| What does confer an award mean? | It means to officially give or award an honor to someone. |
| Is confer a verb? | Yes, confer is a verb. |
| What is an example of confer? | The university conferred a degree on the graduating student. |
The verb confer can mean to communicate, convey, or indicate something, depending on the context. This is different from inference, which refers to a conclusion you reach from available information.
What Does “Confer” Mean?
The word confer means either to discuss something with someone or to officially give something to someone.
Cambridge classifies the word as formal and gives these two central uses: exchanging ideas to reach a decision and giving an official title, honor, or advantage.
The two meanings of confer at a glance
| Meaning | What it means | Example |
| Discuss or consult | Talk with someone to consider an issue or reach a decision | “The doctors conferred before choosing a treatment.” |
| Grant or bestow | Officially give someone a title, honor, power, right, or benefit | “The university conferred a degree on the student.” |
The easiest way to remember the difference is this:
Confer with someone = talk with them.
Confer something on someone = officially give it to them.
The preposition often provides an important clue.
Confer Definition
Confer is a verb. Merriam-Webster defines its discussion sense as comparing views or taking counsel and its granting sense as bestowing something. It also lists conferred and conferring as its main inflected forms.
The word usually appears in formal, academic, legal, professional, or official contexts. You might see it in a university announcement, a legal document, a government regulation, or a business report.
For example:
“The committee conferred with its advisers before making the recommendation.”
Here, the people are discussing an issue.
Now compare:
“The law confers certain powers on the agency.”
Here, the law gives the agency certain powers.
Confer as a verb
The basic forms are:
| Form | Example |
| confer | “They will confer tomorrow.” |
| confers | “The law confers certain rights.” |
| conferred | “The university conferred the award.” |
| conferring | “The committee is conferring now.” |
Notice the spelling:
confer → conferred → conferring
The final consonant is doubled before -ed and -ing.
Confer pronunciation
In standard US English, confer is pronounced /kənˈfɝː/. The stress falls on the second syllable. Cambridge gives the US pronunciation as /kənˈfɝː/.
The first syllable is relatively weak, while the second syllable carries the main stress.
The Two Main Meanings of Confer
Understanding the two senses is the key to using confer correctly. They are related historically, but modern English uses them in noticeably different ways.
Confer means “discuss or consult”
When confer means discuss, it describes people exchanging ideas about a subject. They often do this because they need to make a decision, solve a problem, or decide what action to take.
Cambridge specifically describes this use as talking together and exchanging ideas, often with the goal of reaching a decision.
For example:
- “The doctors conferred before announcing their decision.”
- “I need to confer with my lawyer.”
- “The managers conferred about the proposed changes.”
- “The two teams conferred before the negotiations began.”
- “She conferred with her colleagues before responding.”
This meaning doesn’t necessarily suggest that one person has authority over another. The people involved are simply discussing an issue.
Think of it as a deliberate conversation rather than casual small talk.
You wouldn’t normally say:
“I conferred with my friend about what movie to watch.”
The sentence is grammatically possible, but talked with or discussed it with sounds much more natural in everyday conversation.
However, confer works well when the discussion has a serious, professional, or decision-making purpose:
“The board conferred with its legal advisers before approving the agreement.”
Confer means “grant or bestow”
The second meaning is quite different. Here, confer means to officially give, grant, or bestow something.
The thing being given often carries authority, status, recognition, or some formal benefit.
Common examples include:
- a degree
- an honor
- an award
- a title
- authority
- power
- rights
- status
- benefits
- privileges
For example:
“The university conferred an honorary doctorate on the scientist.”
The university didn’t merely hand over an object. It officially granted a recognized academic distinction.
Likewise:
“The Constitution confers certain powers on Congress.”
Here, confers means gives or grants.
Merriam-Webster notes that this sense can involve giving a property or characteristic to someone or something, not only formal awards.
That broader use appears in sentences such as:
“The position confers considerable authority.”
The position doesn’t physically hand someone authority. Instead, holding that position gives the person that authority.
Confer Meaning in Simple English
If confer feels too formal, reduce it to two simple ideas:
Confer = talk together
Confer = officially give
Here are the same ideas in plain English:
| Formal sentence | Simpler version |
| “The lawyers conferred before the trial.” | “The lawyers talked before the trial.” |
| “The committee conferred with experts.” | “The committee discussed the issue with experts.” |
| “The university conferred a degree on her.” | “The university officially gave her a degree.” |
| “The law confers certain rights.” | “The law gives certain rights.” |
The formal word isn’t always better. Good writing depends on context.
If you’re writing a legal report, confer may fit perfectly. If you’re texting a friend, talk is probably the better choice.
How to Use “Confer” in a Sentence
The grammatical pattern changes depending on which meaning you want.
Confer with someone
The pattern confer with + person usually means discuss something with that person.
Examples:
- “She conferred with her supervisor.”
- “The attorney conferred with her client.”
- “The doctors conferred with the patient’s family.”
- “We need to confer with the engineering team.”
- “The president conferred with senior advisers.”
The phrase confer with is one of the most important structures to learn.
If you see confer with a person, the meaning is almost certainly related to discussion or consultation.
Confer about something
You can also use confer about + subject.
Examples:
- “The managers conferred about the new policy.”
- “The researchers conferred about the results.”
- “The committee conferred about how to proceed.”
- “The two sides conferred about the proposed agreement.”
The word about identifies the topic under discussion.
Cambridge’s Business English material also gives confer about something as a pattern for discussing a subject.
Confer on something
When confer means officially grant, you may see a structure such as:
confer + thing + on + person
For example:
- “The university conferred the degree on her.”
- “The organization conferred its highest honor on the researcher.”
- “The committee conferred the award on the winning team.”
The structure makes the recipient clear.
Confer upon someone
Confer upon has essentially the same granting sense as confer on.
Examples:
- “The award was conferred upon the scientist.”
- “The title was conferred upon the winner.”
- “The law confers certain benefits upon eligible residents.”
Upon sounds more formal than on, so it appears frequently in legal, academic, ceremonial, and official writing.
In everyday English, on often sounds cleaner.
Compare:
“The university conferred the degree on her.”
with:
“The university conferred the degree upon her.”
Both are correct. The second simply has a more formal tone.
Examples of “Confer” in Different Contexts
The surrounding words often reveal which meaning of confer is intended.
Confer in education
Universities and colleges frequently use confer when discussing degrees and academic distinctions.
Examples:
- “The university conferred bachelor’s degrees on more than 1,000 graduates.”
- “The institution conferred an honorary doctorate on the author.”
- “The board voted to confer the award on the professor.”
In this context, confer means officially grant.
A university doesn’t merely give someone a piece of paper. It formally awards an academic qualification.
Confer in the workplace
In business writing, confer usually refers to discussion.
Examples:
- “The managers conferred before presenting their proposal.”
- “Please confer with your supervisor before making changes.”
- “The sales and marketing teams conferred about the new campaign.”
- “The executives conferred privately after the meeting.”
The word works particularly well when the discussion has a clear purpose.
Confer in law and government
Legal and governmental writing frequently uses the granting sense of confer.
For example:
“The Constitution confers certain powers on the federal government.”
Here, confers means grants or gives.
Legal writing may also use the discussion sense:
“The attorneys conferred before entering the courtroom.”
The distinction comes from the structure.
Confer with attorneys means discuss.
A law confers authority means grants authority.
Confer in awards and honors
Official recognition is another common context.
Examples include:
- “The committee conferred its highest honor on the scientist.”
- “The organization conferred an award for outstanding service.”
- “The monarch conferred a title on the recipient.”
This use emphasizes the formal act of granting recognition.
Confer With vs. Confer Upon
These two phrases look similar, but they perform different jobs.
| Phrase | Meaning | Example |
| confer with | Discuss or consult | “She conferred with her attorney.” |
| confer about | Discuss a subject | “They conferred about the proposal.” |
| confer on | Officially grant | “The university conferred the degree on him.” |
| confer upon | Officially grant | “The honor was conferred upon her.” |
A simple memory trick can help:
With = conversation.
On/upon = something being granted.
So:
“The doctors conferred with each other.”
means they talked.
But:
“The university conferred the degree on him.”
means the university granted him the degree.
Confer Synonyms
The best synonym depends on which meaning of confer you want.
Synonyms for confer meaning “discuss”
Useful alternatives include:
- discuss
- consult
- deliberate
- talk
- meet
- exchange views
- consider together
These aren’t perfect substitutes in every sentence.
For example, consult often suggests seeking advice or guidance. Discuss is broader. Deliberate emphasizes careful consideration before reaching a decision.
Merriam-Webster points out that confer and consult overlap, but they aren’t identical in every context.
Synonyms for confer meaning “grant”
Useful alternatives include:
- grant
- award
- bestow
- give
- present
- provide
- accord
- vest
Again, each word carries a slightly different shade of meaning.
Grant often works especially well for rights, permission, or authority.
Award naturally fits prizes and recognition.
Bestow has a ceremonial or elevated tone.
Give is the broadest and most everyday option.
For example:
“The university conferred an honorary degree on her.”
can become:
“The university awarded her an honorary degree.”
Both are natural.
Merriam-Webster’s synonym guidance similarly distinguishes give, present, bestow, and confer by tone and context.
Confer vs. Consult
Confer and consult overlap, especially when they mean discussing an issue. However, the emphasis can differ.
Confer focuses on people talking together and exchanging views.
Consult often emphasizes seeking advice, information, or guidance.
There’s another useful distinction: you can consult a dictionary, but you don’t normally confer with a dictionary. A dictionary can provide information, but it isn’t a conversation partner.
Merriam-Webster makes this distinction explicitly when comparing the two verbs.
Confer vs. Give
At first glance, confer and give can appear interchangeable when confer means “grant.”
They’re not equally natural everywhere.
Give is the general word. It works in countless everyday situations:
- “She gave me a book.”
- “He gave his friend some advice.”
- “They gave the team a gift.”
Confer has a much narrower and more formal flavor.
You can say:
“The university conferred a degree on her.”
But this would sound strange:
“My friend conferred a birthday present on me.”
The formal verb belongs with things that carry some recognized status, authority, benefit, or distinction.
Confer vs. Bestow
Bestow and confer both work when something is formally granted.
However, bestow often has a ceremonial or dignified feel.
For example:
“The king bestowed an honor upon the soldier.”
and:
“The university conferred an honorary degree upon the scientist.”
Both describe formal giving, but confer is especially common with institutional qualifications, powers, rights, and official distinctions.
When choosing between them, consider the object.
Confer pairs naturally with:
- degrees
- powers
- rights
- authority
- titles
- honors
- status
- benefits
Bestow often pairs naturally with:
- honors
- praise
- gifts
- blessings
- titles
Conferred Meaning
Conferred is the past tense and past participle of confer.
It can carry either major meaning.
Conferred meaning “discussed”
“The doctors conferred before making a recommendation.”
Here, conferred means discussed or consulted.
Conferred meaning “granted”
“The university conferred the degree in May.”
Here, conferred means officially granted.
Another example shows the broader granting sense:
“The position conferred considerable authority.”
In this sentence, the position gave the person authority.
So don’t assume that conferred always refers to an award or degree. Look at the surrounding words.
Conferring Meaning
Conferring is the present participle and gerund form of confer.
It can describe an ongoing discussion:
“The committee is conferring about the proposal.”
It can also describe an ongoing act of granting:
“The university is conferring honorary degrees during the ceremony.”
The spelling is important:
confer → conferring
The final r is followed by a doubled r before -ing.
Common Collocations With Confer
Collocations are words that naturally appear together. Learning them makes formal English much easier to recognize and use.
Common discussion collocations
- confer with colleagues
- confer with advisers
- confer with a lawyer
- confer with experts
- confer with a supervisor
- confer with a client
- confer about a proposal
- confer about a problem
- confer before making a decision
Examples:
“The manager conferred with her advisers.”
“The committee conferred before voting.”
“The researchers conferred about the findings.”
Common granting collocations
- confer a degree
- confer an honor
- confer an award
- confer a title
- confer authority
- confer power
- confer rights
- confer benefits
- confer status
- confer a privilege
These combinations appear especially often in academic, legal, political, and institutional writing.
Common Mistakes When Using Confer
Because confer has two meanings, mistakes often happen when writers overlook the sentence structure.
Mistake: Assuming confer always means “give”
It doesn’t.
“The attorneys conferred before the hearing.”
This means they discussed the matter.
It doesn’t mean they gave something to each other.
Mistake: Confusing “confer with” and “confer on”
The preposition changes the meaning.
“I need to confer with my manager.”
= I need to discuss something with my manager.
“The position confers authority on the manager.”
= The position gives the manager authority.
Mistake: Using confer in casual conversation
Confer is correct in casual English, but it often sounds unnecessarily formal.
Instead of:
“Let’s confer about where to eat.”
A normal conversation would usually say:
“Let’s talk about where to eat.”
Save confer for situations where its formal tone adds something.
Mistake: Treating confer and consult as perfect synonyms
They overlap, but their emphasis differs.
You consult a source for information.
You confer with a person to exchange ideas.
That distinction matters in careful writing.
Is “Confer” a Formal Word?
Yes. Confer generally has a formal tone. Cambridge labels the verb formal, and its examples place the word naturally in professional and official situations.
You are most likely to encounter it in:
- academic writing
- legal documents
- government material
- business communication
- official announcements
- professional discussions
- institutional writing
That doesn’t mean the word is old-fashioned or incorrect in everyday speech. It simply has a more polished and formal sound.
Compare:
Casual:
“I’ll talk to my boss first.”
Formal:
“I’ll confer with my supervisor first.”
Both sentences work. The second sounds more professional.
Word Forms Related to Confer
Several words are connected to confer.
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning |
| confer | Verb | Discuss or officially grant |
| confers | Verb | Third-person singular form |
| conferred | Verb | Past tense/past participle |
| conferring | Verb | Present participle/gerund |
| conferral | Noun | The act of granting or conferring |
| conferment | Noun | The act or process of conferring |
| conferee | Noun | A person taking part in a conference or consultation |
| conference | Noun | A meeting for discussion or exchange |
Merriam-Webster lists conferral, conferment, and conferrer among the related forms of the verb.
What does “conferee” mean?
A conferee is a person who takes part in a conference or consultation. Merriam-Webster also uses the term for someone participating in certain formal conference committees.
The word is much less common than participant or conference attendee, so it usually appears in specialized contexts.
Confer vs. Conference
Although confer and conference are closely related, they aren’t interchangeable.
Confer is a verb:
“The researchers conferred before publishing the report.”
Conference is usually a noun:
“The researchers attended an international conference.”
A conference is an organized meeting or event. Confer describes the act of discussing or consulting.
The historical connection makes sense: the words developed around the idea of bringing people together to exchange views.
Origin and Etymology of Confer
The history of confer explains why its meanings seem different today.
The English verb came through Old French conférer and ultimately from Latin conferre, meaning roughly “to bring together” or “bring together for comparison.” The Latin word combines elements associated with together and carry or bear.
English began using confer in the 1500s. Its early English sense involved examining or comparing things. The discussion sense developed soon afterward, followed by the sense of bestowing or granting something.
That history creates an interesting bridge between the modern meanings.
When people confer, they bring their ideas together.
When an institution confers a degree or honor, it formally brings that distinction to the recipient.
The older sense of comparing has largely disappeared from ordinary modern English, although the Latin abbreviation cf., used to mean “compare,” remains familiar in academic writing.
Confer Meaning in Urdu
The correct Urdu equivalent depends on which meaning of confer appears in the sentence.
When confer means discuss or consult, possible equivalents include:
- مشورہ کرنا
- صلاح کرنا
- بات چیت کرنا
When confer means grant or officially give, possible equivalents include:
- عطا کرنا
- دینا
- تفویض کرنا
For example:
“The doctors conferred before making a decision.”
Here, conferred means that the doctors discussed or consulted one another.
“The university conferred a degree on her.”
Here, conferred means that the university officially granted her a degree.
The surrounding context matters more than any single translation.
A Practical Case Study: Understanding Confer From Context
Imagine reading this paragraph:
“Before announcing the policy, the ministers conferred with legal advisers. The new law then conferred additional powers on the regulatory agency.”
The same verb appears in two different grammatical structures, and each structure reveals its meaning.
First use: conferred with
“The ministers conferred with legal advisers.”
The ministers discussed the matter with the advisers.
Second use: conferred powers on
“The law conferred additional powers on the agency.”
The law granted additional powers to the agency.
This is one of the best ways to understand the word. Don’t memorize isolated definitions. Watch how confer behaves inside a sentence.
Another Case Study: Academic Writing
Consider this sentence:
“The university conferred an honorary doctorate on the researcher after recognizing decades of scientific work.”
Here, conferred clearly means officially awarded or granted.
Now change the structure:
“The university committee conferred before selecting the recipient.”
The meaning changes completely. The committee discussed the decision.
The noun following the verb can provide a strong clue.
Confer + degree/honor/title/power/right usually indicates granting.
Confer + with + person usually indicates discussion.
Quick Guide to Using Confer Correctly
When you’re unsure whether confer fits your sentence, check these questions:
- Are people talking together about a serious issue?
→ Confer may mean discuss or consult. - Is someone officially receiving a degree, title, honor, right, or power?
→ Confer may mean grant or bestow. - Does the sentence contain with + person?
→ The discussion sense is likely. - Does the sentence contain on/upon + recipient?
→ The granting sense is likely. - Does the sentence sound too formal for the situation?
→ Consider talk, discuss, give, grant, or award instead.
Frequently Asked Questions About Confer
What does confer mean in simple terms?
Confer has two main meanings: to discuss something with someone or to officially give or grant something.
What does “confer with” mean?
Confer with means to discuss or consult with someone, often before making a decision.
Example:
“She conferred with her lawyer before signing the contract.”
What does “confer upon” mean?
Confer upon means to officially grant or bestow something on someone.
Example:
“The university conferred the honor upon the professor.”
What does “confer on” mean?
Confer on has the same basic granting meaning as confer upon.
Example:
“The law confers certain rights on citizens.”
Is confer a formal word?
Yes. Confer generally has a formal or professional tone. It works particularly well in academic, legal, governmental, and business contexts.
What is a synonym for confer?
It depends on the meaning.
For discuss, useful alternatives include consult, discuss, and deliberate.
For grant, useful alternatives include grant, award, bestow, and give.
What is the opposite of confer?
There isn’t one universal opposite because confer has two meanings.
For the granting sense, possible opposites include withhold, deny, revoke, or rescind, depending on the context.
For the discussion sense, words such as ignore or avoid may provide the opposite idea, although they aren’t exact grammatical antonyms.
What is the past tense of confer?
The past tense is conferred.
Example:
“The committee conferred before reaching a decision.”
What is the present participle of confer?
The present participle is conferring.
Example:
“The committee is conferring about the proposal.”
Does confer mean the same thing as consult?
Not exactly. They overlap when people discuss an issue, but consult often emphasizes seeking advice or information, while confer emphasizes exchanging views or discussing a matter together.
Can confer mean “give”?
Yes. In formal contexts, confer can mean give, grant, or bestow something such as authority, a degree, an honor, a title, a right, or a benefit.
Can you confer with a person?
Yes. Confer with someone is one of the most common constructions.
Example:
“I need to confer with my manager before I respond.”
Can you confer about something?
Yes. Confer about means to discuss a particular subject.
Example:
“The committee conferred about the proposed changes.”
Final Summary of Confer Meaning
Confer is a useful formal verb because it captures two related but distinct actions.
First, it can mean to discuss, consult, or exchange ideas, especially when people are trying to reach a decision.
“The attorneys conferred before the hearing.”
Second, it can mean to officially grant or bestow something.
“The university conferred an honorary degree on her.”
The sentence structure usually tells you which meaning applies.
| Feature | Discussion meaning | Granting meaning |
| Basic meaning | Discuss or consult | Give or grant officially |
| Common pattern | confer with someone | confer something on/upon someone |
| Typical contexts | Business, law, medicine, negotiations | Education, law, government, awards |
| Common objects | Issues, proposals, decisions | Degrees, titles, rights, powers, honors |
| Simple alternative | Discuss, talk, consult | Give, grant, award, bestow |
| Tone | Formal | Formal |
The most useful rule to remember is simple:
When people confer with each other, they talk. When an institution or authority confers something on someone, it grants it.
Once that distinction clicks, confer becomes much easier to understand and use accurately.
