In a sentence
Six example sentences with deference, each labelled with its topic.
Junior officials entered the emperor's hall backwards and spoke only when addressed, a deference the court demanded of every visitor.
History
Rookies carried the bags and waited for the veterans to shower first, a deference the locker room quietly enforced.
Basketball
Appeals judges show real deference to the trial court on facts, overturning findings only when the record leaves no alternative.
Law
Young players show deference to the concertmaster, following her bowing without question even when their own would work.
Music
The famous experiments measured deference to authority, finding that a calm voice in a lab coat could override most people's doubts.
Psychology
The board's deference to the founder was total, and nobody questioned a decision until the losses became impossible to hide.
Business
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Found in these word lists
Found in 8 published word listsRecognized
Each source is a published word list that contains deference. No exam board publishes an official GRE, GMAT or SAT list; GMAT words come from GRE lists and the Academic Word List.