deferential

adjective

def·​er·​en·​tial ˌde-fə-ˈren-chəl 

: showing or expressing respect and high regard due a superior or an elder : showing or expressing deference

listened with deferential attention to his grandfather

deferential to the judge's decision

deferentially

ˌde-fə-ˈren-chə-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• deferent
• dutiful
• regardful
• respectful

Examples of deferential in a Sentence

the man had the deferential attitude of someone who had been a servant his entire life

Recent Examples on the Web

Malcolm’s directorial choices diverge from his father’s old-school creative sensibilities; the pacing is faster, the music more dramatic and less deferential to the story’s era. —Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2024

For folks who remain defiantly deferential to whiskies of the British Isles, that’s a serious wakeup call. —Brad Japhe, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024

Rival agents in the past have criticized the union as deferential to Boras. —Evan Drellich, The Athletic, 5 Dec. 2024

The lower court held that the ban is subject to rational-basis review, the most deferential of the three tiers of scrutiny. —Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 4 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

defer(ence) + -ential, by analogy with other Latin-derived words where the suffixes -ence and -ential imply one another (as prudence, prudential)

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

deferential

adjective

def·​er·​en·​tial ˌdef-ə-ˈren-chəl 

: showing or expressing deference

deferentially

-ˈrench-(ə-)lē 

adverb

Medical Definition

deferential

adjective

def·​er·​en·​tial ˌdef-ə-ˈren-chəl 

: deferent