respectful
adjective
\
Definition of respectful
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from respectful
\
adverb
Synonyms & Antonyms for respectful
Synonyms
deferent, deferential, dutiful, regardful
Antonyms
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of respectful in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
My hope, Martha, is that tomorrow's hearing will be respectful, and fair, and appropriate. — Fox News, "Coons: Kavanaugh hearing should be paused for investigation," 27 Sep. 2018 The tone was respectful and our representatives will talk,’ López Obrador wrote on Twitter. — Rachel Van Dongen, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Trump's trade war is getting very real," 3 July 2018 The proud mom said Jaela is respectful and wonderful. — Karen Pilarski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Fueled by a passion for nursing that started with her Barbies, she fought through teen pregnancy on her way to getting degree," 26 June 2018 Freeman McNeal said young neighbor, Alexandrea Thompson, was respectful and a leader. — Cameron Knight, Cincinnati.com, "Woman indicted killing of 9-year-old Alexandrea 'Sissy' Thompson," 21 June 2018 June 8, 2018 Some recognized Bourdain for his ability to turn the spotlight on different cultures around the world while being respectful and receptive. — Dakin Andone, CNN, "The world reacts to the death of chef and storyteller Anthony Bourdain," 8 June 2018 Everyone is respectful of each other's boundaries.... — Mehera Bonner, Marie Claire, "The 20 Most Graphic and Gorgeous Sex Scenes on TV," 16 Nov. 2018 Any firing or resignation spells immediate uncertainty for an investigation that Rosenstein oversees and would place that responsibility in the hands of a replacement who Democrats fear would be less respectful of Mueller’s independence and mandate. — Zeke Miller, The Seattle Times, "Rosenstein’s job to be topic of Thursday meeting with Trump," 25 Sep. 2018 Bring your laptop to a local café — remember, though, be respectful of the owners and other patrons. — Rhonda Abrams, USA TODAY, "Seven tricks for home office success," 11 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'respectful.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More about respectful
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
Respectively vs. Respectfully
Respectively vs. Respectfully
Respect the differences between this pair
Dictionary Entries near respectful
Statistics for respectful
Last Updated
31 Mar 2019
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for respectful
The first known use of respectful was in 1593
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for respectful
respectful
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of respectful
See the full definition for respectful in the English Language Learners Dictionary
respectful
adjective
\
Kids Definition of respectful
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on respectful
What made you want to look up respectful? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Words from Greek and Latin Quiz
-
- Which of the following months comes from a Latin word for “ten”?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
-
Words from Greek and Latin Quiz
Finally! A use for those SAT prep classes.
Take the quiz -
Name That Thing: Animal Edition
How many animals can you identify?
Take the quiz -
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
Take the quiz -
SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!
Play the game
Share respectful
Resources for respectful