deferentially
UK[ˌdefəˈrenʃəli]US[ˌdefəˈrenʃəli]
adv
in a way that shows respect and submission to someone else's opinion or authority.
adv
in a way that is influenced by or shows regard for the judgment or opinion of another.
Morpheme Breakdown
defer
ent
ial
ly
defer
yield
ent
adjective suffix
ial
adjective suffix
ly
adverb suffix
Etymology
the word 'deferentially' is built upon the latin verb deferre, which literally meant 'to bring down' or 'carry away'. this concrete action evolved metaphorically into the abstract sense of 'yielding' or 'submitting' one's own will or opinion to another. the addition of the adjectival suffixes '-ent' and '-ial' transformed the verb into the adjective 'deferential', describing a character or attitude marked by such respectful submission. finally, the old english adverbial suffix '-ly' was appended, creating the modern adverb that describes the manner of acting with respectful regard for another's authority or judgment.
Analysis
Structure: defer (yield) + ent (adjective suffix) + ial (adjective suffix) + ly (adverb suffix)
- defer: from latin deferre, meaning 'to bring down, carry away, yield'.
- ent: a suffix of latin origin forming adjectives, meaning 'being in a state or condition'.
- ial: a latin-derived suffix forming adjectives, meaning 'relating to or characterized by'.
- ly: an old english suffix forming adverbs from adjectives, meaning 'in a manner of'.
Examples
the junior staff listened deferentially to the senior partner's advice.
he nodded deferentially when the elder statesman entered the room.
she spoke deferentially to the judge, careful not to overstep any boundaries.