verb
defer
To accept another's judgment or authority out of respect.
I defer to your judgment because you know the team better.
Etymology
Latin deferre could mean to offer or yield. Defer in this respectful sense yields decision-making weight to others, allowing their judgment or authority to guide the outcome.
More examples
- On medical questions, she defers to her doctor.
- We deferred to the chef's choice of ingredients.
- He respects his coach without always deferring to her.
Forms
defer · defers · deferred · deferring
deference noun — Respectful acceptance of another's judgment or authority.
deferential adjective — Showing respect for another's judgment or authority.