Conferral

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kənˈfɝəl/

Definitions

1. The process whereby an authority bestows rights, privileges, or honors upon an individual, often involving formal ceremonies or processes
2. It refers to the act of officially granting titles, degrees, or recognitions from institutions or organizations to individuals
3. The act of granting or bestowing something valuable, such as degrees or privileges, typically in a formal setting or ceremony

Etymology: "Conferral" is simply "confer" with the suffix "-al" attached. "Confer" came into English from Latin "conferre," meaning to bring together or to bear together, and over time its sense narrowed from gathering things to bestowing honours on someone. The suffix "-al" traces back through Old French, which had "-el" and "-al" forms, to the Latin "-alis," an adjectival ending meaning "relating to." Attached to a verb, it names the act of doing that verb, so a conferral is the act of conferring. The suffix's own route into English is a long one. Latin "-alis" passed into Old French, where it appeared as both "-al" and "-el," and Middle English then took it on in the form "-al." English speakers have used it ever since to turn verbs into nouns, as in "arrival" and "refusal."

Synonyms: granting, bestowal, awarding