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Deference: meaning, example and synonyms

Deferencen. Respectful yielding to the judgment, wishes, or authority of another.

Flashcard for Deference (noun): respectful yielding to the judgment, wishes, or authority of another. Example: In deference to the elders who had farmed the valley for generations, the young agronomist postponed her irrigation plan until the village council could weigh it. Synonyms: respect, submission, regard, compliance. Antonyms: defiance, disrespect, insolence, contempt. Memory tip: Deference = you DEFER (step back) to someone else's view. Illustration: a young scientist in a field jacket bowing her head slightly and holding out a rolled map to a seated group of gray-haired farmers under a shade tree.

Example

In deference to the elders who had farmed the valley for generations, the young agronomist postponed her irrigation plan until the village council could weigh it.

Part of speech
noun
Synonyms
respect, submission, regard, compliance
Antonyms
defiance, disrespect, insolence, contempt
Memory tip
Deference = you DEFER (step back) to someone else's view.

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Check yourself: Deference in context

Pick the word that best completes each text.

Question 1

Although the junior surgeon privately doubted the diagnosis, she kept silent out of ______ to the senior physician, who had led the department for thirty years.

Question 2

The new envoy's careful ______ toward local customs, such as removing his shoes and waiting to be invited to speak, won him the trust of the village chiefs.

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