as in humbly
in a manner showing no signs of pride or self-assertion
behaved deferentially when approaching someone in authority
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Recent Examples of deferentially
Princess Bride is superbly planned and deferentially orchestrated — its theme fits its telling.
—
Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deferentially
Adverb
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Theirs started humbly, and a bit unexpectedly.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2026
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Chalamet wore a conservative suit and tie and humbly thanked his fellow nominees, a dramatic shift in tone for the actor, who has tended toward the grandiose of late.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
5 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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As seen in a video shared to X by Lizzie Robinson of ITV, the Princess of Wales politely said hello to a patient there, asked her name and made the connection between the woman and William, the heir to the throne.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
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Fear, hunger and repression did not stop politely at national borders.—
Philip Martin,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Ball handlers would dribble close to the basket, only to meekly back away, sensing him looming.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
17 Dec. 2025
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In other words, students prepare for citizenship in a disputatious society by practicing the civic arts—by asserting and advocating for their views—not by meekly absorbing lessons from their instructors.—
Christopher L. Eisgruber,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Shields, 62, sheepishly joked after two false starts.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
28 Nov. 2025
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An engineer with a litter-picker grabbed the fallen cloth and sheepishly moved it behind the machine, out of my line of sight.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deferentially.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deferentially. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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