Defer
✖
Defer
yields an object that displays as the unevaluated form of expr, but that is evaluated if it is explicitly given as Wolfram Language input.
Details

- Defer[expr] returns an object that remains unchanged until it is explicitly supplied as Wolfram Language input and evaluated using
, Evaluate in Place, etc.
- Defer gives an object whose evaluation is merely deferred until it is explicitly given as Wolfram Language input; HoldForm gives an object that is never evaluated.
- If an object contains several levels of nested Defer constructs, one level is removed each time the object is evaluated as Wolfram Language input.
- Defer prevents evaluation, not formatting. Objects such as Grid and Manipulate will still format in StandardForm in the usual way when wrapped in Defer.
Examples
open allclose allBasic Examples (2)Summary of the most common use cases
By default, arguments are evaluated:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0mrc1g-lipmex

Use Defer to display an unevaluated form:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0mrc1g-suf4b

Copy the previous output and evaluate:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0mrc1g-buce3d

Use Defer to create cells with unevaluated contents:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0mrc1g-g49j5n

https://wolfram.com/xid/0mrc1g-jx77f

https://wolfram.com/xid/0mrc1g-nv5ifn

https://wolfram.com/xid/0mrc1g-j6an9u

https://wolfram.com/xid/0mrc1g-iv7tb4

https://wolfram.com/xid/0mrc1g-fwguh6
Properties & Relations (1)Properties of the function, and connections to other functions
Use HoldForm to display in unevaluated form:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0mrc1g-onz6n3

Copy the output and evaluate; the result stays unevaluated:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0mrc1g-bk3hu8

Use ReleaseHold to force evaluation of the result:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0mrc1g-cjrwc

Use Defer to display in unevaluated form:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0mrc1g-jhuw9q


https://wolfram.com/xid/0mrc1g-hlrbb6

Wolfram Research (2007), Defer, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Defer.html.
Text
Wolfram Research (2007), Defer, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Defer.html.
Wolfram Research (2007), Defer, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Defer.html.
CMS
Wolfram Language. 2007. "Defer." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Defer.html.
Wolfram Language. 2007. "Defer." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Defer.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (2007). Defer. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Defer.html
Wolfram Language. (2007). Defer. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Defer.html
BibTeX
@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_defer, author="Wolfram Research", title="{Defer}", year="2007", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Defer.html}", note=[Accessed: 08-July-2025
]}
BibLaTeX
@online{reference.wolfram_2025_defer, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={Defer}, year={2007}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Defer.html}, note=[Accessed: 08-July-2025
]}