Chevron deference

American  

[shev-ron def-er-uhns] / ˈʃɛv rɒn ˌdɛf ər əns /

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.

---

Etymology

Origin of Chevron deference

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Chevron deference

Mark Joseph Stern: Well, the Supreme Court hasn’t explicitly invoked Chevron deference for many years.

From Slate ● May 6, 2023

The constitutional dispute is not necessarily political, because the Chevron deference applies to agency actions in both Republican and Democratic administrations.

From New York Times ● Jun. 19, 2022

This standard is known as "Chevron deference" after a 1984 case, Chevron U.S.A.,

From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2020

Chevron deference - A 1984 Supreme Court ruling, in a case involving the Chevron oil company, says that when laws aren’t crystal clear, federal agencies should be allowed to fill in the details.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 3, 2018

Both Chevron deference and the ALJ structure reflect old attempts to strike balances.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2018