deferential
[adjective]
Synonyms: respectful, ingratiating, obedient, obeisant, obsequious, polite, reverential, submissive

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English Thesaurus: polite, well-mannered, well-behaved, courteous, respectful, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

See main entry: deference

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

polite behaving or speaking in a way that is correct for the social situation you are in, and showing that you are careful to consider other people’s needs and feelings:
He was too polite to ask how old she was.
‘Excuse me, sir,’ she said in a polite voice.
well-mannered having good manners and knowing the correct way to behave in social situations:
She was beautifully dressed and very well-mannered.
well-behaved polite and not causing any trouble – used about children or animals:
The children were very well-behaved.
Well-behaved dogs are welcome at the hotel.
courteous /ˈkɜːtiəs $ ˈkɜːr-/ polite and respectful, and behaving rather formally:
The hotel staff were very courteous and helpful.
a courteous reply
respectful polite and treating someone with respect:
He was very respectful towards all my relatives.
‘Thank you,’ he said with a respectful bow.
civil polite in a formal way, especially when you do not feel very friendly towards someone:
She’d never liked her father-in-law, but she forced herself to be civil to him.
When you’ve stopped arguing, you might be able to have a civil conversation.
deferential formal polite towards someone, especially because they are in a more important social position:
In those days women were expected to be deferential to men.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲