deferential
adjective
def·er·en·tial ˌde-fə-ˈren-chəl 
: showing or expressing respect and high regard due a superior or an elder : showing or expressing deference
listened with deferential attention to his grandfather
deferential to the judge's decision
deferentially
ˌde-fə-ˈren-chə-lē
adverb 
Synonyms
- deferent
- dutiful
- regardful
- respectful
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
the man had the deferential attitude of someone who had been a servant his entire life
Recent Examples on the Web He wasn’t known to be deferential to Carlyle veterans and welcomed how Zoom democratized internal dynamics. 
Dawn Lim, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2022 Palin can appeal, but appeals courts tend to be deferential to jury decisions. BostonGlobe.com, 1 June 2022 Courts generally are deferential to actions taken under a collective bargaining agreement, and the policy has been collectively bargained between the league and its players’ union. Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2022 Maryna said her father, once deferential to Russia, was changed by the ordeal. Anastacia Galouchka, Washington Post, 13 July 2022 Finally, practical considerations support a deferential standard of review. Ryan Finley, Forbes, 16 May 2022 The visit took weeks to organize, while the three most powerful European Union leaders all fended off criticism over positions described as too deferential to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Reuters, NBC News, 16 June 2022 Asian women are often seen as too deferential and submissive to run business lines or companies. Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2022 And they are widely considered capable and smart in supporting roles but too deferential and submissive to run lines of business or entire organizations. Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 5 May 2022 See More
Dawn Lim, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2022 Palin can appeal, but appeals courts tend to be deferential to jury decisions. BostonGlobe.com, 1 June 2022 Courts generally are deferential to actions taken under a collective bargaining agreement, and the policy has been collectively bargained between the league and its players’ union. Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2022 Maryna said her father, once deferential to Russia, was changed by the ordeal. Anastacia Galouchka, Washington Post, 13 July 2022 Finally, practical considerations support a deferential standard of review. Ryan Finley, Forbes, 16 May 2022 The visit took weeks to organize, while the three most powerful European Union leaders all fended off criticism over positions described as too deferential to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Reuters, NBC News, 16 June 2022 Asian women are often seen as too deferential and submissive to run business lines or companies. Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2022 And they are widely considered capable and smart in supporting roles but too deferential and submissive to run lines of business or entire organizations. Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 5 May 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
defer(ence) + -ential, by analogy with other Latin-derived words where the suffixes -ence and -ential imply one another (as prudence, prudential)
First Known Use
1822, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
deferential
adjective
def·er·en·tial ˌdef-ə-ˈren-chəl
: deferent
deferentially
adverb
as in humbly
in a manner showing no signs of pride or self-assertion behaved deferentially when approaching someone in authority Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- humbly
- politely
- submissively
- meekly
- sheepishly
- modestly
- abjectly
- lowly
- obsequiously
- meanly
- subserviently
- servilely
- fearfully
- respectfully
- timidly
- cap in hand
- courteously
- diffidently
- shyly
- bashfully
- hat in hand
- timorously
- civilly
- self-deprecatingly
- mousily
- suppliantly
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- contemptuously
- scornfully
- boldly
- proudly
- imperiously
- superciliously
- haughtily
- loftily
- arrogantly
- pompously
- presumptuously
- brazenly
- huffily
- brashly
- pridefully
- audaciously
- pretentiously
- swaggeringly
- disdainfully
- fearlessly
- disrespectfully
- impertinently
- discourteously
- self-importantly
- rudely
- recklessly
- saucily
- rashly
- impolitely
- ungraciously
- uncivilly
- impudently
- uppishly
- bitchily
- lights (upon)
- lights into
- lights on or upon
- lights out
- lights up
- lights upon
- lights within
- lights-of-love
- lights-out
- lightscot
- lightship
- lightships
- lightsome
- lightsomely
- lightsomeness
- lightsomenesses
- lightsomer
- lightsomest
- lighttight
- lightweight
- lightweight aggregate
- lightweighter
- lightweightest
- lightweights
- lightwood