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.

The hapless man, Mr. de la Bédoyère writes, “sat by, unable or perhaps unwilling by virtue of his status and deference to do anything about the degrading spectacle.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

When Congress passed the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act in 1996, it imposed strict filing deadlines, strengthened rules against multiple petitions, and expanded deference to state court decisions.

From Slate • May 29, 2026

"The handshake evolved very slowly as a mode of greeting and had no bearing on hat-honor as a gesture of deference," he says.

From Science Daily • May 7, 2026

He theorises that inequality exists in a nation founded on pro-black, pan-African principles because a deference for whiteness was hard-wired into the region, long before independence.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

He was standing close by and the men nearby were backed off in deference and had not heard him.

From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara