The verb confer shifts meaning depending on how you use it in a sentence. It either means to grant an honor or to consult with someone. Mixing up these two definitions or messing up the prepositions that follow them can instantly weaken your professional writing.
Let's break down how confer works, where people slip up, and how to use it correctly every single time.
The Two Core Meanings of Confer
To master this word, you need to separate its transitive function from its intransitive one. They sound identical, but they behave differently in grammar and context.
1. To Bestow or Grant (Transitive)
When used transitively, confer means to officially give, award, or present something like a degree, title, right, or honor. This version requires a direct object and carries a strong sense of authority.
For example, a university doesn't just hand out diplomas; it confers them upon graduating seniors. A government might confer citizenship on a foreign national after they meet strict legal requirements.
- Example sentence: The committee will confer an award on the lead researcher for her breakthroughs in renewable energy.
- Grammar check: Because it's transitive, it acts directly on an object (the award, the title, the honor).
2. To Consult or Discuss (Intransitive)
When used intransitively, confer means to hold a discussion, exchange views, or consult with one or more people before making a decision. This use is common in business, legal, and political settings where collaboration matters.
Instead of giving something away, you're coming together to compare notes.
- Example sentence: The defense attorneys need to confer with their client before the trial resumes.
- Grammar check: In this form, it doesn't take a direct object. It usually pairs with the preposition with when naming the person you're talking to.
Common Mistakes with Prepositions
The quickest way to spot an error with this verb is to look at the preposition attached to it. Writers frequently mix up upon and to, or drop necessary connecting words entirely.
- Incorrect: The board voted to confer a bonus to the CEO.
- Correct: The board voted to confer a bonus upon the CEO.
When you're bestowing an honor, use upon (or on in informal contexts).
When you're consulting, use with:
- Incorrect: I need to confer the project manager about the schedule.
- Correct: I need to confer with the project manager about the schedule.
Leaving out with turns the sentence into nonsense, as it makes the project manager look like an award being handed out rather than a colleague you're talking to.
Confusing Confer with Infer
People often swap confer and infer because they sound similar and share Latin roots. However, their jobs in a sentence are completely different.
- Confer means to grant an honor or talk things over.
- Infer means to deduce or draw a conclusion from evidence that isn't stated outright.
If a detective looks at muddy footprints near a broken window and decides someone broke in, they infer a break-in occurred. If that same detective sits down with the chief of police to discuss the case, they confer.
For more help distinguishing tricky professional vocabulary, check out the Merriam-Webster Dictionary guide on precise word choices.
Real-World Usage in Professional Settings
You'll see confer pop up frequently in formal contracts, academic policies, and diplomatic agreements. Its formal weight helps signal that an official action or a serious negotiation is happening.
- In Legal Contracts: A clause might state that ownership rights confer specific liabilities upon the buyer. This locks in legal accountability with exact wording.
- In Corporate Governance: Bylaws often require executives to confer with shareholders before making major structural changes.
Using the word appropriately prevents ambiguity in high-stakes environments where exact definitions protect organizations from liability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is confer a formal word?
Yes. While you can use it in everyday speech when talking about business meetings, it sounds stiff in casual conversation. Words like talk, chat, or meet fit casual chats better.
Can confer be used without an object when meaning to give?
No. When you mean "to grant," confer requires something being given (like a title or degree) and someone receiving it. Dropping the object leaves the sentence incomplete.
What is the noun form of confer?
The noun form is conferral (or conferment). For instance: "The conferral of the honorary doctorate takes place on Friday."
How do I know whether to use confer or consult?
They are often interchangeable in the consultative sense, but confer sounds more formal and emphasizes a peer-to-peer exchange of views. According to the Chicago Manual of Style, choosing precise verbs improves document clarity.
