deferential
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.
Administrators are typically deferential to their own superiors, with whom they often identify.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
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
As the decades spooled past, British society would become less deferential and British media more intrusive.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 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
“Then I’m in your debt,” I said to him, with a deferential nod.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Vocabulary lists containing deferential
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