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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.

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

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

If he treated Henry with deference, it was the rest of us who were forced to bear the wearing, day-to-day brunt of his anger.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt




Vocabulary lists containing deference


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