Respect definition | Dictionary.com

re⋅spect

[ri-spekt]

–noun

1.	a particular, detail, or point (usually prec. by in): to differ in some respect.

2.	relation or reference: inquiries with respect to a route.

3.	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.

4.	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.

5.	the condition of being esteemed or honored: to be held in respect.

6.	respects, a formal expression or gesture of greeting, esteem, or friendship: Give my respects to your parents.

7.	favor or partiality.

8.	Archaic. a consideration.

–verb (used with object)

9.	to hold in esteem or honor: I cannot respect a cheat.

10.	to show regard or consideration for: to respect someone's rights.

11.	to refrain from intruding upon or interfering with: to respect a person's privacy.

12.	to relate or have reference to.

—Idioms

13.	in respect of, in reference to; in regard to; concerning.

14.	in respect that, Archaic. because of; since.

15.

pay one's respects,

a.	to visit in order to welcome, greet, etc.: We paid our respects to the new neighbors.

b.	to express one's sympathy, esp. to survivors following a death: We paid our respects to the family.

16.	with respect to, referring to; concerning: with respect to your latest request.

Origin:
1300–50; (n.) ME (< OF) < L respectus action of looking back, consideration, regard, equiv. to respec-, var. s. of respicere to look back (re- re- + specere to look) + -tus suffix of v. action; (v.) < L respectus ptp. of respicere

Synonyms:
1. regard, feature, matter. 2. regard, connection. 3. estimation, reverence, homage, honor. 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. 7. bias, preference. 9. revere, venerate, consider, admire. 10. heed.

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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re·spect (rĭ-spěkt')

tr.v. re·spect·ed, re·spect·ing, re·spects

To feel or show deferential regard for; esteem.
To avoid violation of or interference with: respect the speed limit.
To relate or refer to; concern.

A feeling of appreciative, often deferential regard; esteem. See Synonyms at regard.
The state of being regarded with honor or esteem.
Willingness to show consideration or appreciation.
respects Polite expressions of consideration or deference: pay one's respects.
A particular aspect, feature, or detail: In many respects this is an important decision.
Usage Problem Relation; reference. See Usage Note at regard.

[From Middle English, regard, from Old French, from Latin respectus, from past participle of respicere, to look back at, regard : re-, re- + specere, to look at; see spek- in Indo-European roots.]
re·spect'er n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Respect

Re*spect"\ (r?*sp?kt"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Respected; p. pr. & vb. n. Respecting.] [L. respectare, v. intens. from respicere, respectum, to look back, respect; pref. re- re- + specere, spicere, to look, to view: cf. F. respecter. See Spy, and cf. Respite.]

1. To take notice of; to regard with special attention; to regard as worthy of special consideration; hence, to care for; to heed.

Thou respectest not spilling Edward's blood. --Shak.

In orchards and gardens, we do not so much respect beauty as variety of ground for fruits, trees, and herbs. --Bacon.

2. To consider worthy of esteem; to regard with honor. "I do respect thee as my soul." --Shak.

3. To look toward; to front upon or toward. [Obs.]

Palladius adviseth the front of his house should so respect the ??uth. --Sir T. Browne.

4. To regard; to consider; to deem. [Obs.]

To whom my father gave this name of Gaspar, And as his own respected him to death. --B. Jonson.

5. To have regard to; to have reference to; to relate to; as, the treaty particularly respects our commerce.

As respects, as regards; with regard to; as to. --Macaulay.

To respect the person or persons, to favor a person, or persons on corrupt grounds; to show partiality. "Ye shall not respect persons in judgment." --Deut. i. 17.

Syn: To regard; esteem; honor; revere; venerate.

Respect

Re*spect"\, n. [L. respectus: cf. F. respect. See Respect, v., and cf. Respite.]

1. The act of noticing with attention; the giving particular consideration to; hence, care; caution.

But he it well did ward with wise respect. --Spenser.

2. Esteem; regard; consideration; honor.

Seen without awe, and served without respect. --Prior.

The same men treat the Lord's Day with as little respect. --R. Nelson.

3. pl. An expression of respect of deference; regards; as, to send one's respects to another.

4. Reputation; repute. [Obs.]

Many of the best respect in Rome. --Shak.

5. Relation; reference; regard.

They believed but one Supreme Deity, which, with respect to the various benefits men received from him, had several titles. --Tillotson.

4. Particular; point regarded; point of view; as, in this respect; in any respect; in all respects.

Everything which is imperfect, as the world must be acknowledged in many respects. --Tillotson.

In one respect I'll be thy assistant. --Shak.

7. Consideration; motive; interest. [Obs.] "Whatever secret respects were likely to move them." --Hooker.

To the publik good Private respects must yield. --Milton.

In respect, in comparison. [Obs.] --Shak.

In respect of. (a) In comparison with. [Obs.] --Shak. (b) As to; in regard to. [Archaic] "Monsters in respect of their bodies." --Bp. Wilkins. "In respect of these matters." --Jowett. (Thucyd.)

In, or With, respect to, in relation to; with regard to; as respects. --Tillotson.

To have respect of persons, to regard persons with partiality or undue bias, especially on account of friendship, power, wealth, etc. "It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment." --Prov. xxiv. 23.

Syn: Deference; attention; regard; consideration; estimation. See Deference.

Language Translation for : Respect

Spanish: respeto,

German: die Achtung,

Japanese: 尊敬

More Translations »

respect (n.)

c.1300, from L. respectus "regard," lit. "act of looking back at one," pp. of respicere "look back at, regard, consider," from re- "back" + specere "look at" (see scope (1)). The verb is 1542, from the noun. Meaning "treat with deferential regard or esteem" is from 1560; respectable "worthy of respect" is from 1586 (implied in respected).

"I have certainly known more men destroyed by the desire to have wife and child and to keep them in comfort than I have seen destroyed by drink and harlots." [William Butler Yeats, "Autobiography"]

respect

see in regard (respect) to; pay a call (one's respects); with all due respect.

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