deference
part of speech
noun (uncountable: deference)
meaning for a pupil
1) Polite respect shown to someone by accepting their opinion or wishes, often because they are older, wiser or more important. tree →
2) (phrase) «In deference to» means out of respect for someone or something. tree →
sense in the lessons
In stories and history, deference shows who has power or respect: servants showed deference to lords, and pupils may show deference to a head teacher. In everyday life it is about politeness, such as letting an elder speak first. Phrases: «out of deference to», «in deference to her wishes», «treat with deference».
examples
- The children spoke to the old chief with great deference. tree →
- In deference to Gran, we turned the music down. tree →
- He nodded with deference when the judge spoke. tree →
- The flags were lowered in deference to those who had died. tree →
- She treats her coach with deference. tree →
- Out of deference to the teacher, the class stood up when she came in. tree →
- When he saw that I observed him he saluted me with great deference. tree →
note
Uncountable: no «a» and no plural. Verb: defer (to defer to someone means to accept their view). Trap: not the same as «difference», though they sound a little alike. Formal word.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «deference» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.