/ ˈdefərəns; NAmE / noun
[ U ] behaviour that shows that you respect sb/sth :
The women wore veils in deference to the customs of the country.
The flags were lowered out of deference to the bereaved family.
► def·er·en·tial / ˌdefəˈrenʃl; NAmE / adjective
► def·er·en·tial·ly / -ʃəli; NAmE / adverb
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 17th cent.: from French déférence , from déférer refer, from Latin differre , from dis- apart + ferre bring, carry.