Chevron deference

[ shev-ron def-er-uhns ]

noun

, Law.

1. in the United States, the act or practice of accepting a government agency’s interpretation of any ambiguous parts of the legislation governing its mandate and actions, as long as the agency’s interpretation is reasonable.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Chevron deference¹

First recorded in 1985–90; named after the 1984 U.S. Supreme Court case Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.