as in deferent
marked by or showing proper regard for another's higher status
the children were remarkably respectful while in the president's office
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Recent Examples of respectful
Addressing the workplace biases and inflexibility that make working motherhood so difficult is a much more effective (and respectful) baby boom stimulus.
—
Susan Rietano Davey, Hartford Courant, 30 May 2025
The fines are part of a broader effort to make landings safer, calmer, and more respectful for everyone on board.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
Hur, who was respectful of the aging president, declined to prosecute Joe Biden for his willful retention of classified documents found in Biden’s non-secure home garage.
—Matt Klink, Oc Register, 28 May 2025
For now, the statements from Israel seem muted, and respectful.
—Sebastian Shukla, CNN Money, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for respectful
Susan Rietano Davey, Hartford Courant, 30 May 2025
The fines are part of a broader effort to make landings safer, calmer, and more respectful for everyone on board.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
Hur, who was respectful of the aging president, declined to prosecute Joe Biden for his willful retention of classified documents found in Biden’s non-secure home garage.
—Matt Klink, Oc Register, 28 May 2025
For now, the statements from Israel seem muted, and respectful.
—Sebastian Shukla, CNN Money, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for respectful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for respectful
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
Adjective
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Showing empathy and being polite, even in frustrating situations, can help de-escalate potential conflicts.—
Milad Haghani,
CNN Money,
6 June 2025
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Dishes are refined but never polite, taking all the risks Cornerstone didn’t have the backing to take.—
Lela London,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
Adjective
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The cyberpunk chaos spirals into shoot-outs with telekinesis and giant mutant babies, all of it spectacular and ingrained in reverent filmmakers’ memories.—
Kambole Campbell,
Vulture,
25 Apr. 2025
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Of course, Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron is still a reverent work, leaving out a few messier strands of the man’s life that Miyazaki-heads might be curious about.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
12 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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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
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Part of the problem might have to do with her conversational approach—tentative, deferential, professional.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Respectful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/respectful. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
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