proffer

/ˈprɑfər/

Other forms: proffered; proffers; proffering

If you present something for acceptance or rejection, you proffer it. If your best friend is really struggling with her math homework, you might want to proffer her some advice — like suggesting that she get a tutor.

What's the difference between proffer and offer? If you say you proffered something to a friend, it suggests a spirit of generosity and it signals that your friend was welcome to accept or reject it as he saw fit. In other words, proffer is usually a little more polite than offer. To remember this, think of the following equation: p[oliteness] + offer = proffer.

Definitions of proffer

1. verb

   present for acceptance or rejection
   synonyms: offer

   types:

   give

   proffer (a body part)

   tender

   make a tender of; in legal settlements

   type of:

   give

   transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody
2. noun

   a proposal offered for acceptance or rejection
   synonyms: proposition, suggestion

   types:

   breath, hint, intimation

   an indirect suggestion

   ghost, touch, trace

   a suggestion of some quality

   advance, approach, feeler, overture

   a tentative suggestion designed to elicit the reactions of others

   tang

   a suggestion of some quality

   type of:

   proposal

   something proposed (such as a plan or assumption)