deference
noun
Did you know?
As you might have guessed, deference is related to the verb defer, meaning "to delegate" or "to submit to another's wishes." But we need to be specific when we tell you that both these words come from the Medieval Latin verb dēferre, which means "to convey, show respect, or submit to a decision," because there are two defers in the English language. The defer related to deference is typically used with to in contexts having to do either with allowing someone else to decide or choose something, as in "I'll defer to the dictionary," or with agreeing to follow someone else's decision, wish, etc., as when a court defers to precedent. The other defer traces to the Latin verb differre, meaning "to carry away in varying directions, spread abroad, postpone, delay, be unlike or distinct." That defer is typically used in contexts having to do with delaying or postponing something, as in "a willingness to defer the decision until next month."
Examples of deference in a Sentence
Benjamin R. Barber, Atlantic, March 1992
In the 1980s, in deference to the neighborhoods, City Hall would attempt a counter-reformation of downtown, forbidding "Manhattanization."
—Richard Rodriguez, Harper's, October 1990
She could have subtly appealed to the deference … she knew was still in there, encoded in their middle-aged hearts; she never did.
—Peggy Noonan, New York Times Magazine, 16 Dec. 1990
A sense of deference to the upper class among whites made it possible, in Sproat's estimation, for white leaders to contain the white supremacists.
—Robert L. Harris, Jr., American Historical Review, December 1987
Her relatives treat one another with deference.
He is shown much deference by his colleagues.
Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Mar. 2025
The odds of that petition succeeding would be very low as courts are obligated under the law to accord high deference to arbitration decisions.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 Mar. 2025
California has not expanded such programs, an embarrassment for the world’s high-tech leader, no doubt as part of its ongoing deference to teachers unions.
—The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 13 Feb. 2025
The Hill: Trump’s nominee to lead the Education Department, Linda McMahon, will field Senate committee questions this morning during a confirmation hearing that may begin and end with the president’s push to drastically shrink the federal education role in deference to the states.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deference
Cite this Entry
“Deference.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deference. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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deference
noun
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