Respectful submission or yielding to the judgment, opinion, or will of another. It involves showing honor or courteous regard for someone's authority or expertise.
From Latin 'deferre,' meaning 'to carry down' or 'to submit,' composed of 'de-' (down) and 'ferre' (to carry). The word evolved to mean carrying oneself down in respect to another's authority, entering English in the 17th century.
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