respectful
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of respectful
Explanation
If you’re respectful, you show consideration and regard for someone or something. Be respectful of your neighbors and turn down your disco music when it gets late. Respectful is the adjective form of the common word respect, which means a feeling of admiration. So when you behave in a way that’s respectful, you’re doing something to show admiration for another person. You might sit in respectful silence when your teacher enters the room. You can be respectful of situations as well as people. You might be respectful of the democratic process and not complain about not winning your school election.
Vocabulary lists containing respectful
List 1
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Workshop 4, Part 2
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Positive and Uplifting Tones
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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.
"We should be respectful and careful to say 'the past doesn't work and now...I'm a magician'," she said.
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
South Carolina State University President Alexander Conyers commended the students for objecting “in a manner that reflects the importance of civic engagement and respectful discourse.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
Mr. Ferrer’s portrait of Hepburn is loving and respectful, a welcome change from books written by the disaffected children of such stars as Joan Crawford, Bette Davis and Bing Crosby.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
But despite China's reliance on the Strait of Hormuz for its oil supply, Xi has been "very respectful", Trump told reporters at the White House this week.
From BBC • May 6, 2026
We both had put on our new Sunday best jackets, trousers, shirts, and neckties, and we looked right respectful as we stepped up on the ferry.
From "The Journey of Little Charlie" by Christopher Paul Curtis
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.
