3 uses
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Definition
polite respect — often when submitting to another's wishes
- doffed his cap, bowed low and spoke with mock deference: "Yessuh."Book One - Fear (15% in)
deference = polite respect
- He knew that whites thought that all Negroes yearned for white women, therefore he wanted to show a certain fearful deference even when one's name was mentioned in his presence.Book Two - Flight (55% in)
- Still another psychological deterrent can be attained by conditioning Negroes so that they have to pay deference to the white person with whom they come in contact.Book Three - Fate (6% in)
There are no more uses of "deference" in Native Son.
Typical Usage
(best examples)