as in respectful
marked by or showing proper regard for another's higher status
the family showed a dutiful deference to their minister when he came to dinner
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Recent Examples of dutiful
The series follows young teens Agnes, dutiful and pious, and Daisy, a new arrival and convert from beyond Gilead’s borders.
—
Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
Long shielded by her husband from the nitty-gritty of a figuratively and often physically dirty industry, Cami must transform herself from dutiful wife to energy executive powerhouse.
—Michael M. Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
With charming Venus in your subtle 12th house nudging lucky Jupiter in your dutiful 6th house, your time will be best spent in quiet, practical actions.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
The decisions and forces that affect society, that dictate the livelihoods and well-being of its citizens, are at the mercy of the market, and the now frighteningly transparent ways that the market serves and benefits its dutiful governmental benefactors.
—Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dutiful
Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
Long shielded by her husband from the nitty-gritty of a figuratively and often physically dirty industry, Cami must transform herself from dutiful wife to energy executive powerhouse.
—Michael M. Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
With charming Venus in your subtle 12th house nudging lucky Jupiter in your dutiful 6th house, your time will be best spent in quiet, practical actions.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
The decisions and forces that affect society, that dictate the livelihoods and well-being of its citizens, are at the mercy of the market, and the now frighteningly transparent ways that the market serves and benefits its dutiful governmental benefactors.
—Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dutiful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dutiful
Adjective
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My political ideology informs my leadership by driving me to ensure our courts are efficient, transparent, and respectful to every person who walks through their doors.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Feb. 2026
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Model respectful disagreement from the top.—
Garrett Lucien,
New York Daily News,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Dutiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dutiful. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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