Question

What is a word that has a similar denotation as deference, but a different connotation?

Answer 1

Submission is a word that has a similar denotation as deference but a different connotation.

A word that has a similar denotation to another one but a different connotation is a word that shares the same basic meaning with the other word but, at the same time, it invokes a different baggage. For example, a word can have a more positive connotation than another one that has the same meaning. Most times, connotation is influenced by the cultural experiences of individuals.

In this case, deference, which means respect shown for another person, has a positive connotation, while submission has a negative one since it gives a bad feeling and brings about a displeasing emotional connection.