Definition
An item of inoperative equipment on an aircraft whose repair has been formally postponed under the authority of an approved Minimum Equipment List (MEL) or other approved procedure. The aircraft may continue to be operated under specified conditions and limitations until the deferred item is repaired within the allowable time interval.
Plain English
A piece of broken or non-working equipment on the aircraft that does not have to be fixed right away. It is officially recorded, and the aircraft is allowed to keep flying within set rules until the repair is completed by a required deadline.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft maintenance records, discrepancy lists, dispatch paperwork, and preflight checks when a known problem has not yet been fixed.
Derivation
From the Latin differre, meaning 'to put off' or 'to carry apart.' Knowing this reinforces that the item is not ignored — it has been formally set aside for later action under approved rules.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots must confirm that any deferred item still allows the aircraft to meet legal and safety standards for the planned flight.
Intuition Check
Deferred does not mean ignored or forgotten. It means the problem has been recorded, reviewed, and allowed to wait under an approved rule or procedure.
Example Sentence 1
The right landing light was placarded as a deferred item, with repair scheduled at the next maintenance stop.
Example Sentence 2
A burned-out cockpit light was entered as a deferred item after the preflight inspection.