deferential
showing respect to another person
TRANSLATION
deferential = respektvoll, ehrerbietig, ehrfürchtig --- GOOGLE INDEX deferential: approximately 650,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
Decisions about wiretapping would now fall under the attorney-general’s office, whose current chief is famously DEFERENTIAL to the president.
(The Economist)
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Most people associate a weak leader with being docile, DEFERENTIAL, timid or meek.
(Time magazine)
(The Economist)
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Most people associate a weak leader with being docile, DEFERENTIAL, timid or meek.
(Time magazine)
Did you
know?
deferential
adjective
- respectful, showing deference
(Oxford Dictionary)
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Deferential is the adjective form of the noun deference and verb defer, which ultimately derive from the Latin differre, "carry apart, scatter, disperse," which then led to the Middle French déférer (14c.), "to yield, comply." It was this sense in French that eventually formed the modern English deference.
Deference is nothing more than a show of respect. If you invite a Muslim family to your house to eat, you would be deferential to them and their religion by not serving pork.
There once was a time when most pupils were deferential to their teachers, or perhaps there are still some that do. Not talking back, saying "yes sir" and "yes mam." All of those gestures are a show of deference.
You can also be deferential during your daily activities or at work. If you and your colleagues go out for lunch and everyone but you is eager for Chinese, then it might be a good idea to be deferential (or give in as we would say informally) and agree to go for some spring rolls and fried noodles. Otherwise, you might end up eating a sandwich by yourself.
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SYNONYMS
courteous, complaisant, dutiful, obedient, obsequious, polite, respectful, submissive
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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"My parents taught me to be deferential to the older generation."
adjective
- respectful, showing deference
(Oxford Dictionary)
---
Deferential is the adjective form of the noun deference and verb defer, which ultimately derive from the Latin differre, "carry apart, scatter, disperse," which then led to the Middle French déférer (14c.), "to yield, comply." It was this sense in French that eventually formed the modern English deference.
Deference is nothing more than a show of respect. If you invite a Muslim family to your house to eat, you would be deferential to them and their religion by not serving pork.
There once was a time when most pupils were deferential to their teachers, or perhaps there are still some that do. Not talking back, saying "yes sir" and "yes mam." All of those gestures are a show of deference.
You can also be deferential during your daily activities or at work. If you and your colleagues go out for lunch and everyone but you is eager for Chinese, then it might be a good idea to be deferential (or give in as we would say informally) and agree to go for some spring rolls and fried noodles. Otherwise, you might end up eating a sandwich by yourself.
---
SYNONYMS
courteous, complaisant, dutiful, obedient, obsequious, polite, respectful, submissive
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"My parents taught me to be deferential to the older generation."
