deferential
adjective
def·er·en·tial
| \ ˌde-fə-ˈren-chəl
\
\
Definition of deferential
: 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
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Other Words from deferential
deferentially
\ ˌde-fə-ˈren-chə-lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
Synonyms & Antonyms for deferential
Synonyms
deferent, dutiful, regardful, respectful
Antonyms
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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
Bahrami oversaw the creation of the FAA office that certified the Max, and he was criticized by some in the regulator for being too deferential to Boeing. — David Gelles, BostonGlobe.com, "Families of Boeing crash victims seek a full review of the 737 Max," 7 Aug. 2019 There was the woman standing at the back of an airplane, waiting to use the restroom, who spied Esposito behind her and insisted — with deferential politeness and fear — that Esposito go first. — Los Angeles Times, "If you ask ‘Better Call Saul’s’ Giancarlo Esposito for a selfie, be prepared to take two," 8 Aug. 2019 Pistons Twitter lacked the same intensity with Paul on the market, but the follower decided — after watching me grow weary of debating fans for nearly a week over Westbrook — the best course was a deferential tone. — Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press, "Chris Paul's game a good fit with Detroit Pistons, but cost is high," 23 July 2019 On the bench, Kavanaugh is polite, deferential with his colleagues and often chatting and laughing quietly with Kagan. — Robert Barnes, Anchorage Daily News, "Gorsuch, Kavanaugh shift the Supreme Court, but their differences are striking," 30 June 2019 One wonders whether a few era-deferential tokes might have loosened them up a bit. — Robert Abele, Detroit Free Press, "Doc fondly recalls Laurel Canyon music scene," 27 June 2019 To date, Mike Pence has played the part of deferential deputy to a president who, above all, demands loyalty from his subordinates. — The New York Review of Books, "Murray Waas," 23 May 2019 But courts have been extremely deferential to canine searches, according to Fourth Amendment scholars, including the late Andrew Taslitz, a law prosecutor who taught law at American and Howard universities. — Andrew Wolfson, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville police's drug-sniffing K-9s don't find narcotics in nearly half their searches," 1 Apr. 2019 Many of these complaints revolved around the belief that Guyger has been given deferential treatment by law enforcement over the course of the investigation, with critics arguing that Guyger should have initially been charged with murder. — P.r. Lockhart, Vox, "Amber Guyger has been indicted for murder after the Botham Jean shooting," 30 Nov. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deferential.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for deferential
deferential
adjective
def·er·en·tial
| \ ˌdef-ə-ˈren-chəl
\
\
Medical Definition of deferential
: deferent
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