respect
Americannoun
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respects
plural
-
a particular, detail, or point (usually preceded byin ).
to differ in some respect.
-
relation or reference.
inquiries with respect to a route.
- Synonyms:
- connection, regard
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esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability.
I have great respect for her judgment.
- Synonyms:
- honor, homage, reverence, estimation
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deference to a right, privilege, privileged position, or someone or something considered to have certain rights or privileges; proper acceptance or courtesy; acknowledgment.
respect for a suspect's right to counsel; to show respect for the flag; respect for the elderly.
-
the condition of being esteemed or honored.
to be held in respect.
-
respects, a formal expression or gesture of greeting, esteem, or friendship.
Give my respects to your parents.
-
favor or partiality.
- Synonyms:
- preference, bias
-
Archaic. a consideration.
verb (used with object)
-
respects,
present (3rd person singular)
-
respected,
past participle, past
-
respecting
present participle
idioms
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pay one's respects,
-
to visit in order to welcome, greet, etc..
We paid our respects to the new neighbors.
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to express one's sympathy, especially to survivors following a death.
We paid our respects to the family.
-
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in respect that, because of; since.
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in respect of, in reference to; in regard to; concerning.
-
with respect to, referring to; concerning.
with respect to your latest request.
noun
-
an attitude of deference, admiration, or esteem; regard
-
the state of being honoured or esteemed
-
a detail, point, or characteristic; particular
he differs in some respects from his son
-
reference or relation (esp in the phrases in respect of , with respect to )
-
polite or kind regard; consideration
respect for people's feelings
-
(often plural) an expression of esteem or regard (esp in the phrase pay one's respects )
verb
-
to have an attitude of esteem towards; show or have respect for
to respect one's elders
-
to pay proper attention to; not violate
to respect Swiss neutrality
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to show consideration for; treat courteously or kindly
-
archaic to concern or refer to
Synonym Usage
Respect, esteem, veneration imply recognition of personal qualities by approbation, deference, and more or less affection. Respect is commonly the result of admiration and approbation, together with deference: to feel respect for a great scholar. Esteem is deference combined with admiration and often with affection: to hold a friend in great esteem. Veneration is an almost religious attitude of deep respect, reverence, and love, such as we feel for persons or things of outstanding superiority, endeared by long association: veneration for one's grandparents, for noble traditions.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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respectsimple
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respectssimple
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have respectedperfect
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has respectedperfect
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am respectingprogressive
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are respectingprogressive
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is respectingprogressive
-
have been respectingperfect progressive
-
has been respectingperfect progressive
Past
-
respectedsimple
-
had respectedperfect
-
was respectingprogressive
-
were respectingprogressive
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had been respectingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of respect
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English noun from Old French or directly from Latin respectus “action of looking back, consideration, regard,” equivalent to respec-, variant stem of respicere “to look back” ( re- “back” + specere “to look”) + -tus suffix of verbal action; verb from Latin respectus, past participle of respicere; see re-
Explanation
Respect is a way of treating or thinking about something or someone. If you respect your teacher, you admire her and treat her well. People respect others who are impressive for any reason, such as being in authority — like a teacher or cop — or being older — like a grandparent. You show respect by being polite and kind. For a lot of people, taking your hat off is a show of respect. When people are insulted or treated badly, they feel they haven't been treated with respect. You can respect things as well as people. Saying the Pledge of Allegiance shows respect to your country.
Vocabulary lists containing respect
Memorial Day Words
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act III
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Aretha Franklin (1942 - 2018) Tribute List
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“I respect the effort, but I think a lot of students were left unheard and hungry.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
We don’t respect our institutions, even the good ones.
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026
But Rangzen’s fellow exiled Tibetans, who have struggled to win international attention for their opposition to Chinese communist rule, greeted his passing with anguish -- and respect.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
The National Eisteddfod added adjudicators were entirely independent, and that it was "important for us as an organisation to respect that independence".
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Instead, she planned to stay in “private contemplation, out of respect for the momentous events which are about to occur.”
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
"It's very painful, and it's very debilitating in many respects, but he's still out there. He's still doing his thing...he so believes in this country."
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
He added that the community, too, “is engaged to ensure a project that honors the past, respects the present, and sustains our future.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
An agency spokesperson said that ICE’s investigative methods abide by the Constitution and respects civil liberties and privacy interests.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
"We understand that this case has been challenging and has brought up strong feelings. We ask that everyone respects the legal process and each other as we process this outcome," they added.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
My mother died when I was quite young, and certainly a motherless girl will come up wanting in some respects, but in my opinion she has a freedom unknown to other daughters.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
"The person may be returned all the same, it's just that this procedure requires basic guarantees", said human rights lawyer Laura Maria Medina Ferreras, adding that in her view these must "always" be respected.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
"Until we have confirmed information, we will not speculate or comment further. We appreciate everyone's concern and ask that his privacy be respected during this time."
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
And yet, by the reckoning of one of the most respected currency hands in Washington, China’s currency is between 20% and 30% below its true value.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
MarketWatch: You chaired the Yale University investment committee for decades, working with David Swensen, who was Yale’s respected chief investment officer.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
Instead, respected men who believed in the sisters’ spirits flooded newspapers with letters to the editor.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
"It's about respecting the office... the US-UK relationship, but where you disagree ... do it in a way that is kind of meeting him where's he's at."
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
Premier League referees need to find a way to find a reset while respecting the physical nature of the game.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
“Kalibrate is committed to serving its customers with lawful, innovative fuel-pricing technology, and we remain focused on supporting our customers while respecting the litigation process.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
"Castlelake's ambition is to support EasyJet as a stronger, more resilient European airline under European control, respecting EasyJet's valuable airline assets and continuing to sustain its network," the US firm said.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
“Biddy,” said I, “I made a remark respecting my coming down here often, to see Joe, which you received with a marked silence. Have the goodness, Biddy, to tell me why.”
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
