deferential

adjective

def·​er·​en·​tial ˌde-fə-ˈren-chəl How to pronounce deferential (audio)
: 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 adverb

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 But veterans’ groups complained that the new court was being too deferential to the VA when reviewing the agency’s decisions. Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, 16 Oct. 2024 The court, which has historically been deferential toward sports governing bodies and their regulations, was highly critical of FIFA’s transfer system. Stefan Szymanski, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2024 The others, like Amazon, have been more deferential in working with the EU to avoid the kind of tension that Apple has faced, notes Axios senior tech policy reporter Ashley Gold. Pete Gannon, Axios, 19 Sep. 2024 Throughout the encounter, that woman and the other man were deferential and apologetic to the officers. Rich Schapiro, NBC News, 2 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for deferential 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deferential.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of deferential was in 1822

Dictionary Entries Near deferential

Cite this Entry

“Deferential.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deferential. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

deferential

adjective
def·​er·​en·​tial ˌdef-ə-ˈren-chəl How to pronounce deferential (audio)
: showing or expressing deference
deferentially adverb

Medical Definition

deferential

adjective
def·​er·​en·​tial ˌdef-ə-ˈren-chəl How to pronounce deferential (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on deferential

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