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
Amodei is forcibly removed and replaced with a deferential Army general.
—
Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
The service At the health clinic, in the restaurants, and throughout the property, the service is deferential and fastidious without being overwhelmingly formal.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2026
Then the once-deferential females rise up and wage bloody battles against one another to vie for the crown.
—Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 15 Apr. 2026
But while the Supreme Court has historically been deferential to presidents on immigration issues, defining who is an American by birth is different, according to longtime immigration law scholar Stephen Yale-Loehr.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deferential
Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
The service At the health clinic, in the restaurants, and throughout the property, the service is deferential and fastidious without being overwhelmingly formal.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2026
Then the once-deferential females rise up and wage bloody battles against one another to vie for the crown.
—Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 15 Apr. 2026
But while the Supreme Court has historically been deferential to presidents on immigration issues, defining who is an American by birth is different, according to longtime immigration law scholar Stephen Yale-Loehr.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deferential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deferential
Adjective
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There are, on average, two weddings a week at the resort; sometimes sound can carry from the beachfront reception, but the party never lasts too late in order to be respectful of guests.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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There are respectful blink-and-you’ll-miss-them nods to the tournament’s other co-hosts, Mexico and Canada – some flags, maple syrup and a guacamole dip – and the French even found a way to shout out some of their sponsors and partners.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
1 June 2026
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 Feb. 2026
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And many advocates are promoting a vision of public health that’s less dependent on mandates and appeals to authority, and more deferent to individuals’ beliefs.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deferential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deferential. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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