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
The meeting never devolved into the outburst that the public saw in Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was berated by the U.S. president and his team for not being sufficiently deferential.
—
Josh Boak, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2025
Part of the problem might have to do with her conversational approach—tentative, deferential, professional.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2025
Judges tend to be highly deferential to the privacy claims raised by these educational institutions.
—Holly Yan, CNN Money, 10 May 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
Josh Boak, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2025
Part of the problem might have to do with her conversational approach—tentative, deferential, professional.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2025
Judges tend to be highly deferential to the privacy claims raised by these educational institutions.
—Holly Yan, CNN Money, 10 May 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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Wild horse tours provide an off-road, closer look at the free-roaming horses originally brought from Spain while maintaining a safe and respectful distance.—
Kate Lewis,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
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For many women, getting quality healthcare that’s accessible, affordable and respectful of their time and privacy can feel like a full-time job.—
Jess Cording,
Forbes.com,
19 June 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 2 Jul. 2025.
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