confer

Etymology

From Early Modern English conferre, from Middle French conférer, from Old French conferer, from Latin cōnferō. Compare Dutch confereren (“to confer”), German konferieren (“to confer”), Danish konferere (“to confer”), Swedish konferera (“to confer”).

verb

1. (transitive) To grant as a possession; to bestow.
   The college has conferred an honorary degree upon the visiting Prime Minister.
   Nor shall I count in hainous to enjoy The public marks of honour and reward Conferr'd upon me[…] 1671, John Milton, Samson Agonistes
   The special immunities that are conferred on MPs were framed with the essential purpose of allowing them to speak freely in parliament. 7 Feb 2010, Andrew Rawnsley, The Observer
   The mere existence of a dictionary of a certain variety of English does not automatically confer acceptance of that variety. 2014, James Lambert, “Diachronic stability in Indian English lexis”, in World Englishes, page 114
2. (intransitive) To talk together, to consult, discuss; to deliberate.
   They were in a huddle, conferring about something.
   Local buttons popped when Henry Kissinger visited Little Rock last month to confer with Fulbright on the Middle East oil talks. 25 Mar 1974, “A Traveler's Perils”, in Time
3. (obsolete) To compare.
   The Newe Testament ... Conferred diligently with the Greke, and best approued translations. 1557 (book title)
   If we confer these observations with others of the like nature, we may find cause to rectify the general opinion. 1661, Robert Boyle, The Second Essay, of Unsucceeding Experiments
4. (obsolete, transitive) To bring together; to collect, gather.
5. (obsolete) To contribute; to conduce.
   The closeness and compactness of the parts resting together doth much confer to the strength of the union. 1665, Joseph Glanvill, Scepsis Scientifica