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Deference
01
a respectful gesture or expression that shows admiration or esteem toward someone
Examples
The students stood in deference to the entering professor.
He bowed his head in deference to the elder's wisdom.
02
a willingness or habit of submitting to the opinions or authority of others
Examples
In deference to his manager's judgment, he agreed to postpone the launch.
Her deference to tradition sometimes limited her creativity.
03
considerate respect for another person's feelings or preferences
Examples
She declined to argue further, in deference to his fragile mood.
The journalist avoided intrusive questions out of deference to the grieving family.
Lexical Tree
deference
defer
