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
Ruth knew the community said the same thing—anyone reading the New Testament out loud said the same thing—and were dutiful in concern for all those implicated in both beatitudes and the Civil Rights Act.
—
Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025
Right staffing: recruiting entrepreneurial staff, not dutiful rule-followers.
—Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
But another source of revenue is emerging alongside the imposition and dutiful payment of these tariffs—catching tariff cheaters.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
Ouattara’s current number two, Tiémoko Meyliet Koné — a respected former central bank governor — is seen as loyal and dutiful, but not a future president.
—Joël Té-Léssia Assoko, semafor.com, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dutiful
Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025
Right staffing: recruiting entrepreneurial staff, not dutiful rule-followers.
—Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
But another source of revenue is emerging alongside the imposition and dutiful payment of these tariffs—catching tariff cheaters.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
Ouattara’s current number two, Tiémoko Meyliet Koné — a respected former central bank governor — is seen as loyal and dutiful, but not a future president.
—Joël Té-Léssia Assoko, semafor.com, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dutiful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dutiful
Adjective
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Addressing such behavior promptly and fostering a positive, respectful environment is essential for maintaining team cohesion and success.—
Nancy Pulciano,
Rolling Stone,
23 Sep. 2025
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Bryan Medina Hernandez, Gallatin High Described as a strong student, musician, and leader who is respected by peers and teachers because of his respectful demeanor and work ethic, Bryan participates in the marching, concert, jazz band and pep bands.—
Andy Humbles,
Nashville Tennessean,
22 Sep. 2025
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 29 Sep. 2025.
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