as in obedience
a readiness or willingness to yield to the wishes of others
the sycophantic deference with which the hotel treats celebrity guests
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deference
The biggest spotlight has been on Mr. Trump’s very public effort to broker a quick peace in Ukraine, which has entailed previously unthinkable U.S. deference to Moscow’s wishes.
—
Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Mar. 2025
The odds of that petition succeeding would be very low as courts are obligated under the law to accord high deference to arbitration decisions.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 Mar. 2025
California has not expanded such programs, an embarrassment for the world’s high-tech leader, no doubt as part of its ongoing deference to teachers unions.
—The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 13 Feb. 2025
The Hill: Trump’s nominee to lead the Education Department, Linda McMahon, will field Senate committee questions this morning during a confirmation hearing that may begin and end with the president’s push to drastically shrink the federal education role in deference to the states.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deference
Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Mar. 2025
The odds of that petition succeeding would be very low as courts are obligated under the law to accord high deference to arbitration decisions.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 Mar. 2025
California has not expanded such programs, an embarrassment for the world’s high-tech leader, no doubt as part of its ongoing deference to teachers unions.
—The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 13 Feb. 2025
The Hill: Trump’s nominee to lead the Education Department, Linda McMahon, will field Senate committee questions this morning during a confirmation hearing that may begin and end with the president’s push to drastically shrink the federal education role in deference to the states.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deference
Cite this Entry
“Deference.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deference. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share