Confers

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To grant or bestow something such as an honor or degree ; to consult or discuss something with others before deciding
2. To formally give or present something valuable or official ; to have a discussion or exchange ideas to reach a decision
3. To provide or award a right or title ; to talk things over with someone in order to plan or decide

Etymology: The verb "confers" is simply the third-person singular form of "confer," so the real story sits with its root. That root is Latin "cōnferre," built from "com-" ("together") and "ferre" ("to bring" or "to carry"), so the original sense was literally bringing things together. That image of carrying items into one place is what connects the two modern meanings: to bestow something on someone, and to bring minds together in discussion. The word passed into English through Middle French "conférer" and Old French "conferer," and it arrived in the Early Modern English period as "conferre." Its close relatives include "infer," "refer," "defer," and "prefer," all built on the same "ferre" root but spreading into quite different senses. "Confer" is also a doublet of "collate," meaning English received the same Latin source twice, through different routes, and the two words settled into distinct uses.

Synonyms: grants, bestows, awards