Meaning & use
deference
Respectful submission to the judgment, wishes, or authority of another person.
See it in a sentence
The junior staff treated the retiring director with great deference at the farewell dinner.
Out of deference to her parents' wishes, she postponed the trip until after graduation.
A note on using this word
Deference is often shown through the phrase in deference to, meaning out of respect for someone's wishes.
Words with a similar meaning
respectobeisance
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Make it your own
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