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.
In habeas doctrine, the danger has always been that federal review becomes so deferential that even substantial constitutional claims are transformed into sterile questions of state-court reasonableness.
From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026
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
In general, the law is deferential to police, giving officers significant discretion to use force, making it difficult to hold them criminally or civilly liable.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026
Only Reba, with her light pimply skin and deferential manner, looked as though her simplicity might also be vacuousness.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
Vocabulary lists containing deferential
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