as in deference
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Recent Examples of respectfulness
People considered other traits – such as loyalty, reliability, respectfulness and being there in times of need – to be much more important.
—
Athena Aktipis, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025
Athena Aktipis, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for respectfulness
Noun
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But in deference to the master’s wishes, they’ve been left in the ashes to be spread across the order’s dozen centers across five continents.—
Deepa Bharath,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2026
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But in deference to the master's wishes, they've been left in the ashes to be spread across the order's dozen centers across five continents.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The purpose is to foster humility, reduce a person’s anxiety by releasing their need for control and provide an external source of strength for long-term recovery.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
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Despite his humility, McElroy's athletic accomplishments were remarkable for the team.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But for Coles, his indoctrination to law enforcement has been a different level of submissiveness.—
Dan Pompei,
New York Times,
2 Dec. 2025
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In Killers of the Flower Moon, his Ernest Burkhart starts off as a mopey, weak-minded World War One veteran, eager to do anything for his godfather uncle (Robert De Niro), but there’s still a certain likability to his dim-bulb submissiveness.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Such meekness is understandable from him.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Feb. 2026
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Likewise, meekness once meant not becoming weak, but subjugating power to reason – not letting anger take control.—
Timothy J. Pawl,
The Conversation,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The subjects appear to offer their likenesses without reserving an ounce of modesty; confidence and audacity steel their faces and poses.—
Bryan Barcena,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2026
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My accent and ways of saying signaled something different there, something other than modesty.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Respectfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/respectfulness. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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