as in obedience
a readiness or willingness to yield to the wishes of others
the sycophantic deference with which the hotel treats celebrity guests
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deference
The Founders would be astonished to see how massive the country’s defense establishment has become today, and even more surprised by its tradition of deference to civilian authority.
—
Kori Schake, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2026
We are done performing deference to leaders who have not earned it and do not deserve it.
—Rachel O'Leary Carmona, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2026
The structure projects spectacle and deference at the same time, keeping its distance at the bottom, coming in for a kiss upstairs, and then pulling flirtatiously away again at the top.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 19 Mar. 2026
The Federal Arbitration Act and other laws instruct judges to give substantial deference to arbitrators.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deference
Kori Schake, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2026
We are done performing deference to leaders who have not earned it and do not deserve it.
—Rachel O'Leary Carmona, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2026
The structure projects spectacle and deference at the same time, keeping its distance at the bottom, coming in for a kiss upstairs, and then pulling flirtatiously away again at the top.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 19 Mar. 2026
The Federal Arbitration Act and other laws instruct judges to give substantial deference to arbitrators.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deference
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deference
Noun
-
The Middle Ages really were an era when kings ruled in Christ’s name, when the popes of Rome commanded obedience from believers around Europe, and when monasteries played a crucial role in the shaping of values and education.—
Brett Whalen,
The Conversation,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The group pledged full obedience to the new leader.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This is a story that traces the path to justice for mass atrocity in the face of public acquiescence.—
Sheila Coronel,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Kelley, Offerman, Fanning, and especially Pfeiffer do enough of the hard work to make acquiescence rather easy — and the ensuing journey a worthy reward.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But for Coles, his indoctrination to law enforcement has been a different level of submissiveness.—
Dan Pompei,
New York Times,
2 Dec. 2025
-
In Killers of the Flower Moon, his Ernest Burkhart starts off as a mopey, weak-minded World War One veteran, eager to do anything for his godfather uncle (Robert De Niro), but there’s still a certain likability to his dim-bulb submissiveness.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deference.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deference. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
