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 of deferential

• respectful
• deferent

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

And so, when James Harden walked toward the Raptors’ bench during a timeout in the Cavaliers’ 125-120 win, the Raptors were no longer impressed or deferential. —Eric Koreen, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026

Amodei is forcibly removed and replaced with a deferential Army general. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026

The service At the health clinic, in the restaurants, and throughout the property, the service is deferential and fastidious without being overwhelmingly formal. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2026

Then the once-deferential females rise up and wage bloody battles against one another to vie for the crown. —Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 15 Apr. 2026

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

Rhymes for deferential

• consequential
• evidential
• existential
• exponential
• influential
• nonessential
• penitential
• precedential
• preferential
• presidential
• providential
• referential

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