conferred
conferred — verb
- conferredpresent simple I / you / we / they
- conferreds3rd person singular
- conferreding-ing form
- conferrededpast simple
1. to talk with other people in order to share opinions, exchange information, and
to talk with other people in order to share opinions, exchange information, and reach a decision together about what to do
The lawyers conferred with the judge before the trial began.
confer + with + [someone] — preposition required
Naoko conferred with her study group about how to prepare for the exam.
The team of doctors conferred for nearly an hour to agree on the best treatment plan.
Before announcing the merger, the board members conferred privately with each shareholder.
Mira and her manager conferred briefly about the project deadline before the client arrived.
- consult
less formal; often implies seeking advice from an expert, while confer suggests an exchange among equals
- discuss
more general and less formal; does not necessarily imply a goal of reaching a decision
- deliberate
more formal and slower-paced; emphasises careful, methodical consideration
文法句型
confer + with + [someone]
confer + with + [someone] + about/on + [topic]
用法筆記
Always intransitive in this sense. The preposition with must introduce the person you talk to; about or on introduces the topic. Never used with a direct object (*confer someone).
常見錯誤
2. to officially give someone a special title, degree, right, or award as a sign of
to officially give someone a special title, degree, right, or award as a sign of honour or recognition
The university conferred an honorary degree on the Nobel Prize winner.
confer + [honour/degree] + on + [recipient]
A medal of bravery was conferred upon Inês for pulling three people from the burning building.
The title of Professor Emeritus was conferred on Dr. Mateo after forty years of teaching.
This fellowship confers the right to use the university library and research facilities.
The Queen conferred knighthood on the celebrated author during a ceremony at the palace.
文法句型
confer + [something] + on/upon + [someone]
be conferred + on/upon + [someone]
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive, especially in ceremonial and academic contexts. The preposition on (or the more formal upon) introduces the recipient. The direct object names what is being given — typically a title, degree, honour, or power.