as in obedience
a readiness or willingness to yield to the wishes of others
the sycophantic deference with which the hotel treats celebrity guests
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Recent Examples of deference
Stressing the high degree of deference owed to arbitration, a federal judge in Pennsylvania on Friday rejected NFL agent Todd France’s motion to vacate or modify an arbitrator’s award in favor of NFL agent Jason Bernstein.
—
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 1 June 2025
Does being a girl’s girl mean forfeiting your shot at love in deference to a friend’s indecision?
—Lizzie Hyman, People.com, 3 July 2025
When Sexton took to the Tennessee House floor in April 2014, his colleagues showed him deference because of his banking experience, said former Rep. Craig Fitzhugh, a rural West Tennessee Democrat and the minority leader at the time, who sponsored the original payday lending legislation in 1997.
—Adam Friedman, ProPublica, 26 June 2025
But such deference is inappropriate and unwarranted under Supreme Court precedents when a law burdens a group that has been historically subjected to discrimination.
—Erwin Chemerinsky, Mercury News, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for deference
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 1 June 2025
Does being a girl’s girl mean forfeiting your shot at love in deference to a friend’s indecision?
—Lizzie Hyman, People.com, 3 July 2025
When Sexton took to the Tennessee House floor in April 2014, his colleagues showed him deference because of his banking experience, said former Rep. Craig Fitzhugh, a rural West Tennessee Democrat and the minority leader at the time, who sponsored the original payday lending legislation in 1997.
—Adam Friedman, ProPublica, 26 June 2025
But such deference is inappropriate and unwarranted under Supreme Court precedents when a law burdens a group that has been historically subjected to discrimination.
—Erwin Chemerinsky, Mercury News, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for deference
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deference
Noun
-
The unruly dog – who first appeared in DC Comics way back in 1955 – comes in handy at several pivotal moments throughout the movie, in spite his lack of obedience and training.—
Dan Heching,
CNN Money,
12 July 2025
-
The training program was organized through the sheriff’s police department in that county, which paired dogs with county jail inmates responsible for training and obedience schooling, according to Orland Park.—
Mike Nolan,
Chicago Tribune,
7 July 2025
Noun
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Too many have chosen the politics of non-engagement, which is at best a hair’s breadth away from acquiescence or complicity.—
Kamila Shamsie
June 20,
Literary Hub,
20 June 2025
-
This long history of the expansion of executive power, often with the acquiescence of the courts, to violate and restrict civil liberties in the name of national security has ultimately brought us to our current situation.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deference.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deference. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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