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

Examples of deferential in a Sentence

the man had the deferential attitude of someone who had been a servant his entire life

Recent Examples on the Web

Cannon has long been criticized for being unfairly deferential to Trump as the documents dispute has moved forward. —Alison Durkee, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025

Without any physical proof of his story, police higher-ups won’t let his deferential boss devote any resources to an investigation. —Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 26 Dec. 2024

The Supreme Court has grown more deferential to Trump, who appointed three of its nine members. —Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2024

Medicine is nuanced, messy and rife with decision points and diverging paths, so doctors grading other doctors can sound deferential, even perfunctory. —J. David McSwane, ProPublica, 7 Dec. 2024

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

Kids Definition

deferential

adjective

def·​er·​en·​tial ˌdef-ə-ˈren-chəl 

: showing or expressing deference

deferentially

-ˈrench-(ə-)lē 

adverb

Medical Definition

deferential

adjective

def·​er·​en·​tial ˌdef-ə-ˈren-chəl 

: deferent