as in respectful
marked by or showing proper regard for another's higher status
the man had the deferential attitude of someone who had been a servant his entire life
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Recent Examples of deferential
In the 7-2 majority opinion, Justice Neil Gorsuch upheld the 2022 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) rule by applying an incredibly deferential standard.
—
Ella Lee, The Hill, 9 Apr. 2025
That deferential standard had been observed since the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in NCAA v. Board of Regents (1984), a case that concerned NCAA rules restricting schools’ autonomy to broadcast football games on national TV networks.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 31 Mar. 2025
The Senate unanimously confirmed Haugh to his post in December 2023, and Republicans and Democrats alike were broadly deferential to him during his marathon testimony last month before the House and Senate intelligence committees.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025
Newsom’s deferential tone toward far-right guests like Charlie Kirk and Michael Savage—including agreeing with Kirk’s stance on banning transgender athletes from women’s sports—has alienated progressive allies and LGBTQ+ advocates, undermining his reputation as a champion of LGBTQ+ rights[1][7][9].
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deferential
Ella Lee, The Hill, 9 Apr. 2025
That deferential standard had been observed since the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in NCAA v. Board of Regents (1984), a case that concerned NCAA rules restricting schools’ autonomy to broadcast football games on national TV networks.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 31 Mar. 2025
The Senate unanimously confirmed Haugh to his post in December 2023, and Republicans and Democrats alike were broadly deferential to him during his marathon testimony last month before the House and Senate intelligence committees.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025
Newsom’s deferential tone toward far-right guests like Charlie Kirk and Michael Savage—including agreeing with Kirk’s stance on banning transgender athletes from women’s sports—has alienated progressive allies and LGBTQ+ advocates, undermining his reputation as a champion of LGBTQ+ rights[1][7][9].
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deferential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deferential
Adjective
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But officially, the Sox are playing it cool and trying to be respectful.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
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Though Ancelotti didn’t pick Rivaldo often during their time at AC Milan together in the early 2000s, the ex-forward has always been publicly respectful of the Champions League’s most successful coach while stressing there is no bad blood between them.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
Adjective
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The Ptolemaic model depicted planets moving around Earth in a big circle, known as a deferent, then going around a smaller circle while retrograding, called an epicycle.—
Carlie Procell,
USA TODAY,
25 Nov. 2024
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The Ptolemaic model depicted planets moving around Earth in a big circle, known as a deferent, then going around a smaller circle while retrograding, called an epicycle.—
Carlie Procell,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Deferential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deferential. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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