deference

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.

Out of misguided deference to supposed victims, they have been largely aiming their ire in the wrong direction.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

Plus, she has a trad wife thing going on, emphasizing her deference to her husband’s decisions.

From Slate • Feb. 27, 2026

The former senior Whitehall official blames the deference he personally saw being shown to the then Prince Andrew by very senior civil servants and their reluctance to challenge him.

From BBC • Feb. 23, 2026

It was the first time in nearly four centuries that a senior British royal was placed under arrest, and it underscored how deference to the monarchy has eroded in recent years.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

The Korean language has no fewer than six different levels of conversational address, depending on the relationship between the addressee and the addresser: formal deference, informal deference, blunt, familiar, intimate, and plain.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell