What is the Latin word for deference?

The usual Latin words for “deference” are observō, revereor, venerātiō; also verēcundia, praestō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“deference” in Latin

observōto observe, watch, pay attention to; to guard, keep watch over; to heed, regard, respect revereorto stand in awe (of), regard, respect, honor, reverence, revere; to stand in fear (of); to be afraid, fear venerātiōreverence, veneration; worship verēcundiaknowing one's place, regarded as a virtue; coyness, modesty; shyness, bashfulness; shame, awe praestōto be preferable, better, coupled with quam; to be outstanding, be exceeding in something, to excel, stand out, be super

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

deference

observantia (especially the deference which one actually pays to anybody; Vid: Cic., Invent., 2, 22, 66): reverentia (deference, or due respect, accompanied with something of a reverential awe): veneratio: verecundia (a deference that is stronger than reverentia; a heartfelt respect for the high worth of a person): deference is due to parents, reverentia debetur parentibus: to show or pay deference to anybody, aliquem observare; aliquem colere et observare, or vereri et colere; aliquem revereri; reverentiam adversus aliquem adhibere; reverentiam alicui habere or praestare: to pay the greatest deference to anybody, aliquem summa, observantia colere; aliquem colere et observare diligenter; perhonorificum esse in aliquem; veneratione aliquem prosequi: he pays me no deference, nihil mihi tribuit (Cic.). I have never been wanting in deference to you, mihi in te numquam observantia defuit (Cic.): we should pay deference to the old, aequum est senibus obsequi (Terentianus): to pay no deference to anybody, negligere aliquem.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for deference?: The usual Latin words for “deference” are observō, revereor, venerātiō; also verēcundia, praestō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.