confers

Confers is the third-person singular present tense of the verb confer. The primary sense is to grant or bestow something, such as an award, degree, title, or privilege. In formal or official contexts, an institution may confer degrees on graduates who meet the requirements. The noun forms for this sense are conferment or conferral.

A second sense of confer is to discuss or consult with others in order to exchange views or seek advice. In this usage, confers is typically followed by with or on: for example, “The committee confers with experts before issuing a recommendation.” This meaning emphasizes deliberation rather than giving.

Etymology: confers derives from Latin conferre, meaning “to bring together,” from com- “together” and ferre “to bear.” The term has appeared in English since the Middle Ages, especially in formal contexts.

Usage notes: The word is common in legal, academic, and governmental language. Conferral (or conferment) denotes the act or instance of conferring. The verb can appear in various tenses (confers, conferred, conferring) and is often used with institutions as subjects, such as universities or boards, or with the persons who receive what is conferred.

Examples: “The university confers honorary degrees.” “The council confers with community leaders to shape policy.”