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 Prior to Covid-19, judges were extremely deferential to employers in remote work cases. Michelle Travis, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Witness last week’s mockery of his old foil Tucker Carlson, who conducted a deferential interview with Vladimir Putin, then visited a Moscow supermarket in an attempt to show viewers that contrary to what the news media tells you, Russia is more than just a brutal authoritarian state. Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024 Musk is clearly hoping the new Texas courts will be more deferential to Tesla on executive pay if the company is sued again after his next pay plan is agreed on. Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 1 Feb. 2024 Since that time, India’s supreme court has become surprisingly deferential and taciturn. Vaibhav Vats, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2024 Some soldiers and analysts said there was a danger that the next commander will be too deferential to Zelensky. David L. Stern, Washington Post, 1 Feb. 2024 Busch’s platforming of Francis’ opponents in the past spoke louder than any deferential words, said theologian and canon lawyer Dawn Eden Goldstein, who writes for the moderate Catholic news site Where Peter Is. Harriet Ryan, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2023 The vacuum has left space for rumors, including that Altman was devoting too much time to side projects or was too deferential to Microsoft. Peter Guest, WIRED, 22 Nov. 2023 Officials like Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan have bucked decades of antitrust policy more deferential to corporations and focused on consumer harm rather than fighting consolidation in general. Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 4 Aug. 2023

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 18 Mar. 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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