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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Positive and Uplifting Tones
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Workshop 4, Part 2
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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.
While he expects Xi and Putin to give Trump "a respectful hearing" on arms control, Hass said they will likely only "agree on broad principles without committing to any follow-on actions".
From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2026
He wants to honor his mother, as much as he wants to be respectful to your wishes.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
Yet the polite, respectful man we saw holding doors open and thanking court staff was in striking contrast to how he was portayed in the evidence we heard.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
We have come to believe that it is “more respectful, more enlightened, to let the sick slip through the cracks than to require them to accept treatment,” he writes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
There was a certain obvious and gratifying tang of adventure in this, but also something much more low-key and elemental—a kind of respectful mutual acknowledgment that comes with sustained eye contact.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
