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
Pinnacle members receive a gold pin, and a few wear it on the ship as a badge of honor and expect deferential treatment from both passengers and crew.
—
Roger Dooley, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
Absent such a definition, courts historically have been quite deferential to a president’s determination that an emergency exists.
—Elizabeth Goitein, TIME, 23 Jan. 2025
People have occasionally challenged their inclusion on such lists, but courts have been broadly deferential to government claims of national security.
—Byron Tau, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2025
The Supreme Court's conservative majority has historically been highly deferential to the government's position on matters of national security, but the justices are also likely to be cautious about a precedent-setting decision that could silence a wildly popular communication tool.
—Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deferential
Roger Dooley, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
Absent such a definition, courts historically have been quite deferential to a president’s determination that an emergency exists.
—Elizabeth Goitein, TIME, 23 Jan. 2025
People have occasionally challenged their inclusion on such lists, but courts have been broadly deferential to government claims of national security.
—Byron Tau, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2025
The Supreme Court's conservative majority has historically been highly deferential to the government's position on matters of national security, but the justices are also likely to be cautious about a precedent-setting decision that could silence a wildly popular communication tool.
—Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deferential
Cite this Entry
“Deferential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deferential. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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