Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

deference

[def-er-uhns] / ˈdɛf ər əns /




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.

Thus far, we’ve thought of that level of “Whatever the boss wants” deference to the president as cost free.

From Slate • Jun. 9, 2026

In practice, the Fed sets rates by committee vote, not by automatic deference to the chair.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 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

In English, they would be free of the sharply defined gradients of Korean hierarchy: formal deference, informal deference, blunt, familiar, intimate, and plain.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell




Vocabulary lists containing deference


Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "deference" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com