as in respectful
marked by or showing proper regard for another's higher status
the man had the deferential attitude of someone who had been a servant his entire life
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Recent Examples of deferential
The loser of an arbitration can petition a judge to vacate the arbitration decision, but judges are obligated to be deferential to arbitration decisions.
—
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 26 May 2026
Trump was notably out of character throughout his stay here, deferential to his host, marveling at displays of Chinese power and reticent to speak with the press.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026
One party controlling the government, with a popular president of that party, may have a Congress more deferential to the president than one of divided government.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
And so, when James Harden walked toward the Raptors’ bench during a timeout in the Cavaliers’ 125-120 win, the Raptors were no longer impressed or deferential.
—Eric Koreen, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deferential
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 26 May 2026
Trump was notably out of character throughout his stay here, deferential to his host, marveling at displays of Chinese power and reticent to speak with the press.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026
One party controlling the government, with a popular president of that party, may have a Congress more deferential to the president than one of divided government.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
And so, when James Harden walked toward the Raptors’ bench during a timeout in the Cavaliers’ 125-120 win, the Raptors were no longer impressed or deferential.
—Eric Koreen, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deferential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deferential
Adjective
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For those uninitiated, Amazon Prime’s latest college drama, Off Campus, has sparked a dedicated following for its respectful portrayal of friendships, fun, and even, puck buddies bunnies.—
Elle Turner,
Glamour,
18 June 2026
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What an emotionally intelligent dad looks like, what a respectful dad looks like.—
Christian Dashiell Published,
Parents,
18 June 2026
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 Feb. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Deferential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deferential. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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