Respect

v. t. [imp. & p. p. RESPECTED; p. pr. & vb. n. RESPECTING.] [Fr. respecter, Sp. respectar, respetar, It. rispettare, Lat. respectare, v. intens. from respicere, respectum, to look back, to respect, from re, again, back, and specere, spicere, to look, to view.] 1. To look back upon; to notice with special attention; to regard as worthy of particular notice; hence, to honor; to prefer. In orchards and gardens, we do not so much respect beauty as variety of ground for fruits, trees, and herbs. Bacon. I do respect thee as my soul. Shak. 2. To look toward; to front upon or toward. [Obs.] Palladius adviseth the front of his house should so respect the south. Browne. 3. To hold to; to consider; to deem. [Obs.] To whom my father gave this name of Gaspar, And as his own respected him to death. B. Jonson. 4. To have regard to, in relation or connection; to relate to; as, the treaty particularly respects our commerce. To respect the person, to suffer the opinion or judgment to be influenced or biased by a regard to the outward circumstances of a person, to the prejudice of right and equity. Syn.—To regard; esteem; honor; revere; venerate.

n. [See supra, and cf. RESPITE.]

1Sense 1. The act of respecting, or noticing with attention; the looking toward; attention.

But he it well did ward with wise respect. Spencer.

We pass by common objects or persons without noticing them, whereas we turn back to look again at those which deserve our admiration, our regard, our respect. This was the original meaning of “respect” and “respectable.” M. Müller.

2Sense 2. The act of holding in high estimation; regard; attention; consideration. “Seen without awe, and served without respect.” Prior.

These same men treat the Sabbath with little respect. Nelson.

3Sense 3. (pl.) An expression of respect or deference; as, to send one’s respects to another.

4Sense 4. That which respects or pertains to any person or thing.

5Sense 5. Relation; reference.

In one respect I’ll be thy assistant. Shak.

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

6Sense 6. Consideration; motive in reference to something; interest. [Rare.] “Whatever secret respects were likely to move them.” Hooker.

To the public good Private respects must yield. Milton.

In respect of, in comparison with; in reference to.

Synonyms—Deference; attention; regard; consideration; estimation.—RESPECT, REGARD. The phrases in respect to and in regard to may, in most or all cases, be interchanged for the sake of variety. Some have endeavored to introduce the expression “in that regard,” corresponding to “in that respect;” but this has not been sanctioned by general usage. See DEFERENCE.