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.

Until the 1960s, most broadcasting was dry and deferential.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 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

Ellison wanted to keep Sheridan in the fold but felt the previous regime was too deferential, a person familiar with his thinking said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 28, 2025

“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

Ma, who had always been so deferential, so gentle, had found a way out of a bad situation and had executed it.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu