deferential
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- deferentially adverb
- nondeferential adjective
- nondeferentially adverb
- overdeferential adjective
- overdeferentially adverb
- undeferential adjective
- undeferentially adverb
Etymology
Origin of deferential
1815–25; after deference, by analogy with such pairs as residence: residential
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But he added an "overly deferential" approach to engaging with them would "almost inevitably creates political challenges or missed positive opportunities".
From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026
"He was intensely serious but showed flashes of humour. He encouraged debate although his officers were deferential," Pike wrote in a 2019 book.
From Barron's • Jan. 12, 2026
In general, the law is deferential to police, giving officers significant discretion to use force, making it difficult to hold them criminally or civilly liable.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026
“This deferential standard of review leaves no basis for faulting the Commission’s work,” the appeals court had concluded then in its opinion.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 7, 2025
And he quit playing because their subtle deferential treatment made him nervous.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
