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.

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

The piece argues that Pratt showed sufficient composure and charm while displaying deference to moderators and occasionally yielding speaking time to Bass, though the article notes he occasionally lapsed into mockery and made unsubstantiated characterizations.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 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

One time he gave a lengthy tour to a tall, stoop-shouldered man with a lugubrious expression on his long face, whom Lawrence introduced with unusual deference as “Dr. Nicholas Baker.”

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik