a disposition or tendency to yield to the will of others
courteous regard, as in: The young people in that family showed great deference for their elders.
judicial courts' practice of yielding to an agency's interpretations of its own regulations and authorizing statute.
Deference denotes the extent to which a court respects the authority or validity of a government act or decision during the process of judicial review. If the court exhibits less deference, this may contribute to a finding that the government acted ultra vires, or beyond its power.